Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators?
Bats show responses to anthropogenic stressors linked to changes in other ecosystem components such as insects, and as K-selected mammals, exhibit fast population declines. This speciose, widespread mammal group shows an impressive trophic diversity and provides key ecosystem services. For these and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/693 |
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| author | Danilo Russo Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos Luca Cistrone Sonia Smeraldo Luciano Bosso Leonardo Ancillotto |
| author_facet | Danilo Russo Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos Luca Cistrone Sonia Smeraldo Luciano Bosso Leonardo Ancillotto |
| author_sort | Danilo Russo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bats show responses to anthropogenic stressors linked to changes in other ecosystem components such as insects, and as K-selected mammals, exhibit fast population declines. This speciose, widespread mammal group shows an impressive trophic diversity and provides key ecosystem services. For these and other reasons, bats might act as suitable bioindicators in many environmental contexts. However, few studies have explicitly tested this potential, and in some cases, stating that bats are useful bioindicators more closely resembles a slogan to support conservation than a well-grounded piece of scientific evidence. Here, we review the available information and highlight the limitations that arise in using bats as bioindicators. Based on the limited number of studies available, the use of bats as bioindicators is highly promising and warrants further investigation in specific contexts such as river quality, urbanisation, farming practices, forestry, bioaccumulation, and climate change. Whether bats may also serve as surrogate taxa remains a controversial yet highly interesting matter. Some limitations to using bats as bioindicators include taxonomical issues, sampling problems, difficulties in associating responses with specific stressors, and geographically biased or delayed responses. Overall, we urge the scientific community to test bat responses to specific stressors in selected ecosystem types and develop research networks to explore the geographic consistency of such responses. The high cost of sampling equipment (ultrasound detectors) is being greatly reduced by technological advances, and the legal obligation to monitor bat populations already existing in many countries such as those in the EU offers an important opportunity to accomplish two objectives (conservation and bioindication) with one action. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7c6144c271041d5a9ccde2f89647db9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7c6144c271041d5a9ccde2f89647db92023-11-22T06:49:11ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372021-07-0110869310.3390/biology10080693Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators?Danilo Russo0Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos1Luca Cistrone2Sonia Smeraldo3Luciano Bosso4Leonardo Ancillotto5Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyWildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyWildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyWildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyWildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyWildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, ItalyBats show responses to anthropogenic stressors linked to changes in other ecosystem components such as insects, and as K-selected mammals, exhibit fast population declines. This speciose, widespread mammal group shows an impressive trophic diversity and provides key ecosystem services. For these and other reasons, bats might act as suitable bioindicators in many environmental contexts. However, few studies have explicitly tested this potential, and in some cases, stating that bats are useful bioindicators more closely resembles a slogan to support conservation than a well-grounded piece of scientific evidence. Here, we review the available information and highlight the limitations that arise in using bats as bioindicators. Based on the limited number of studies available, the use of bats as bioindicators is highly promising and warrants further investigation in specific contexts such as river quality, urbanisation, farming practices, forestry, bioaccumulation, and climate change. Whether bats may also serve as surrogate taxa remains a controversial yet highly interesting matter. Some limitations to using bats as bioindicators include taxonomical issues, sampling problems, difficulties in associating responses with specific stressors, and geographically biased or delayed responses. Overall, we urge the scientific community to test bat responses to specific stressors in selected ecosystem types and develop research networks to explore the geographic consistency of such responses. The high cost of sampling equipment (ultrasound detectors) is being greatly reduced by technological advances, and the legal obligation to monitor bat populations already existing in many countries such as those in the EU offers an important opportunity to accomplish two objectives (conservation and bioindication) with one action.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/693biodiversityChiropteraclimate changeenvironmentforagingforest |
| spellingShingle | Danilo Russo Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos Luca Cistrone Sonia Smeraldo Luciano Bosso Leonardo Ancillotto Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? Biology biodiversity Chiroptera climate change environment foraging forest |
| title | Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? |
| title_full | Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? |
| title_fullStr | Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? |
| title_short | Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? |
| title_sort | do we need to use bats as bioindicators |
| topic | biodiversity Chiroptera climate change environment foraging forest |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/693 |
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