Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya
Africa faces significant challenges in reconciling economic and social development while preserving its natural resources. Little is known about the diverse bat community on the continent, particularly in drier ecosystems. A better understanding of the bat community will help improve and inform the...
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1116 |
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| author | Ana Rainho Diogo F. Ferreira Beryl Makori Michael Bartonjo Miguel Repas-Gonçalves Stanley Kirakou Florah Maghuwa Paul W. Webala Ricardo Tomé |
| author_facet | Ana Rainho Diogo F. Ferreira Beryl Makori Michael Bartonjo Miguel Repas-Gonçalves Stanley Kirakou Florah Maghuwa Paul W. Webala Ricardo Tomé |
| author_sort | Ana Rainho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Africa faces significant challenges in reconciling economic and social development while preserving its natural resources. Little is known about the diverse bat community on the continent, particularly in drier ecosystems. A better understanding of the bat community will help improve and inform the management of these ecosystems. Our study aimed to provide detailed information on the main drivers of bat richness and activity at three different heights above the ground in a semi-arid region of Kenya. We assessed how bat activity varied with space and height using acoustic sampling and complementary methods. We sampled 48 sites at ground level and two sites on meteorological masts at 20 m and 35 m above the ground. We recorded more than 20 bat species, including one species of concern for conservation. Our models showed that the use of space varies with bat guild, creating trade-offs in the variables that affect their activity. Low-flying bat species are mostly associated with habitat variables, whereas high-flying species are more dependent on weather conditions. Our study highlights the richness of bat assemblages in semi-arid environments and emphasizes the need for management measures to protect bat diversity in the face of habitat degradation caused by climate change, land management, and development projects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:55:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-209ab533378b494b898cbf3b2c09c0a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:55:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-209ab533378b494b898cbf3b2c09c0a62023-12-01T01:40:40ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372023-08-01128111610.3390/biology12081116Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, KenyaAna Rainho0Diogo F. Ferreira1Beryl Makori2Michael Bartonjo3Miguel Repas-Gonçalves4Stanley Kirakou5Florah Maghuwa6Paul W. Webala7Ricardo Tomé8cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, PortugalCIBIO-InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalThe Pangolin Project, P.O. Box 15156, Langata 00509, KenyaMammalogy Section, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi 00100, KenyaStrix, Rua Sousa Aroso, 556—4º D—trás, 4450-286 Matosinhos, PortugalEnvironment and Sustainable Development Department, Kenya Electricity Generating Company, P.O. Box 47936, Nairobi 00100, KenyaEnvironment and Sustainable Development Department, Kenya Electricity Generating Company, P.O. Box 47936, Nairobi 00100, KenyaDepartment of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, P.O. Box 861, Narok 20500, KenyaThe Biodiversity Consultancy, 3E King’s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SJ, UKAfrica faces significant challenges in reconciling economic and social development while preserving its natural resources. Little is known about the diverse bat community on the continent, particularly in drier ecosystems. A better understanding of the bat community will help improve and inform the management of these ecosystems. Our study aimed to provide detailed information on the main drivers of bat richness and activity at three different heights above the ground in a semi-arid region of Kenya. We assessed how bat activity varied with space and height using acoustic sampling and complementary methods. We sampled 48 sites at ground level and two sites on meteorological masts at 20 m and 35 m above the ground. We recorded more than 20 bat species, including one species of concern for conservation. Our models showed that the use of space varies with bat guild, creating trade-offs in the variables that affect their activity. Low-flying bat species are mostly associated with habitat variables, whereas high-flying species are more dependent on weather conditions. Our study highlights the richness of bat assemblages in semi-arid environments and emphasizes the need for management measures to protect bat diversity in the face of habitat degradation caused by climate change, land management, and development projects.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1116Africabat conservationdrylandslandscape managementspecies richness |
| spellingShingle | Ana Rainho Diogo F. Ferreira Beryl Makori Michael Bartonjo Miguel Repas-Gonçalves Stanley Kirakou Florah Maghuwa Paul W. Webala Ricardo Tomé Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya Biology Africa bat conservation drylands landscape management species richness |
| title | Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya |
| title_full | Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya |
| title_short | Guild Vertical Stratification and Drivers of Bat Foraging in a Semi-Arid Tropical Region, Kenya |
| title_sort | guild vertical stratification and drivers of bat foraging in a semi arid tropical region kenya |
| topic | Africa bat conservation drylands landscape management species richness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1116 |
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