1,720,990 research outputs found
Emergence time in forest bats: the influence of canopy closure
No full textIl lavoro analizza l'influenza della struttura forestale sul comportamento di involo di un raro chirottero forestale (il barbastello) discutendone il significato evolutivo e le implicazioni per la conservazione della specie
Habitat selection by the highly endangered long-horned beetle Rosalia alpina in Southern Europe: a multiple spatial scale assessment.
No full textDespite the popularity of the saproxylic
cerambycid Rosalia alpina as a flagship species, its ecology
is still poorly know, especially in the southern part of its
range. Detailed information on its habitat preferences is
needed to plan appropriate management. We set our multiple
spatial scale assessment of habitat preferences in a beech
forest of central Italy whose landscape, featuring both
unmanaged forest and two types of grazed open forest,
allowed us to look at the influence of different land uses
Spatial and temporal patterns of roost use by tree-dwelling barbastelle bats, Barbastella barbastellus
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Roost selection by barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus, Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in beech woodlands of central Italy: consequences for conservation.
No full textWe investigated roost selection by Barbastella barbastellus in a mountainous area of central Italy. Twenty-five bats, mostly lactating females, were radio-tracked to 33 roost trees. Trees in unmanaged woodland were favoured as roost trees; woodland subject to limited logging was used in proportion to availability, and areas where open woodland and p pasture occurred were avoided. Selection depended on tree condition (dead beech trees were preferred) and height (roost trees were taller than random ones). Cavity selection was based on cavity type, height and entrance direction: roost cavities were mainly beneath loose bark, at a greater height above ground and facing south more frequently than random cavities. Untouched areas of mature woodland should be preserved to provide roosting conditions for B. barbastellus. In logged areas. harvesting protocols should save dead and mature trees; frequent roost switching and small colony size imply that large numbers of roost trees are needed
Dangerous neighbours: Birds and bird-eating bats sharing tree cavities
No full textMounting evidence indicates the non-consumptive effects of predators significantly impact prey physiology, ecology and behaviour. Passerine birds experience adverse effects on nesting and reproductive success when in proximity to predators. Fear of predators is context-dependent and influenced by hunting habitats and foraging strategies. While some bat species prey on birds, the greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) stands out by specialising in avian prey, especially during peak bird migration. N. lasiopterus is thought to seize avian prey in flight, but direct evidence is lacking. If birds were taken from nests, they would likely avoid nesting near these bats. However, no observations support this view. This study documents the successful reproduction of Eurasian blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) nesting alongside a colony of approximately 25 greater noctules. This bird species is a prey species for greater noctules in Italy. Over about 1 month (April-May 2023), we observed parent birds provisioning food to chicks, with at least two chicks alive and fed outside the tree cavity by the end of the period. While acknowledging the limitations of a single observation, we propose that this previously unknown behaviour indirectly supports the idea that greater noctules only capture avian prey in flight, not within confined spaces. This observation challenges the perception that these bats pose a threat when sharing roosting spaces in trees, as evidenced in our observed case. We hope this novel observation inspires future research on variations in bird nesting behaviour and reproductive success in the presence of bird-eating bats, as well as an assessment of the long-term impact on population dynamics and reproductive success of nesting birds sharing such roosting spaces.Greater noctules feed on birds, including Eurasian blue tits, with the presumed strategy being in-flight capture, yet no direct observations confirming this holds true. We recorded the successful nesting of blue tits in a tree cavity shared with around 25 greater noctules and recorded no predatory interactions over the whole nesting period. Our observation supports the hypothesis that roosting bats are not perceived as a threat, indirectly endorsing the 'aerial hawking' predation theory.imag
Threatened species depending on dead wood in unmanaged and harvested forests: lessons from bats and beetles.
No full textForest islands in farmland provide vital roost trees year-round for giant and common noctule bats: Management implications
No full textForest islands in agricultural landscapes may be vital for biodiversity conservation, providing habitats for a variety of species, including bats. Our study focused on a forest island in NE Italy, where we observed mixed-species groups of giant (Nyctalus lasiopterus) and common (Nyctalus noctula) noctules roosting at the site. The giant noctule is highly endangered across Europe, and our findings shed light on its roosting preferences, providing key information to inform sustainable forestry practices that take this species into account. Using photographic methods and direct observation, we established that both common and giant noctules occur year-round in the forest island, with giant noctules giving birth, hibernating, and probably mating there. The bats preferred aspen trees and trees rich in cavities with high canopy closure and reduced sun exposure found in the forest interior, while they avoided forest edges. Rot cavities were frequently used, but we found no selection for cavity type, entrance height, or aspect. Despite the common belief that forestry activities in winter have negligible impact on bats, the felling of roost trees during this time can result in significant bat mortality since both common and giant noctules use these trees for hibernation. The number of cavities in a tree is a reliable predictor of a noctule roost, so it is advisable, year-round, to protect trees with cavities. Sustainable forestry practices should incorporate measures to provide roosting opportunities for bats, especially noctules. Our study only pertains to a single forest fragment. While our findings are novel and informative and highlight the conservation value of the forest island we studied, at this stage, they should not be generalized to all forest islands. We, therefore, encourage further large-scale studies to determine whether other forest islands are used similarly and to assess the broad-scale conservation implications of our work, particularly for threatened species such as the giant noctule
Of greater noctule “migration” from Russia to Italy: a comment on Vasenkov et al. (2023)
Full text linkWe comment on a recent study (Vasenkov et al. in Dokl Biol Sci 513:395–399, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1134/S0012496623700746) presenting the movement paths of three greater noctule bats (Nyctalus lasiopterus), two juveniles and an adult, tracked from Russia in September–October 2020 and 2021, with particular emphasis on the unprecedented straight-line migration of a juvenile male to Italy. Notably, the juvenile's extraordinary 2515 km migration marks the longest recorded (as the crow flies) movement in a bat species. We argue that the two juveniles may represent cases of dispersal. Despite the attention garnered by Vasenkov et al.’s findings, caution is warranted in interpreting the broader migration picture. The paper’s dissemination underscores a potential oversimplification, neglecting key insights from recent work conducted in Italy that documented the year-round presence, hibernation, and parturition of N. lasiopterus in an area of the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region where the juvenile male tracked from Russia stopped over. Besides, inferring the existence of migratory routes based on small numbers of tracked bats is insufficient. The oversight of these findings may imply a misleading narrative about the species' behaviour, likely representing a case of partial migration, a pattern widespread among migratory bat species
The early bat catches the fly: temporal and spatial plasticity in the soprano pipistrelle.
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