The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus)
Although open landscapes are typically regarded as inhospitable matrix for several species of forest bats, their role may be crucial for maintaining gene flow among otherwise isolated populations occurring in distant forest fragments. The barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) is a bat species previ...
Published in: | Biodiversity and Conservation |
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2014
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11588/593695 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 |
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ftunivnapoliiris:oai:www.iris.unina.it:11588/593695 2024-09-09T19:31:55+00:00 The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) ANCILLOTTO, LEONARDO CISTRONE, LUCA Fabio Mosconi Gareth Jones Luigi Boitani RUSSO, DANILO Ancillotto, Leonardo Cistrone, Luca Fabio, Mosconi Gareth, Jone Luigi, Boitani Russo, Danilo 2014 http://hdl.handle.net/11588/593695 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 unknown info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000348114100011 volume:24 firstpage:171 lastpage:185 numberofpages:15 journal:BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION http://hdl.handle.net/11588/593695 doi:10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-84922003831 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2014 ftunivnapoliiris https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 2024-06-17T15:19:31Z Although open landscapes are typically regarded as inhospitable matrix for several species of forest bats, their role may be crucial for maintaining gene flow among otherwise isolated populations occurring in distant forest fragments. The barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) is a bat species previously known to depend on mature forest and dead trees in its wide yet fragmented range. We tested the general hypothesis that viable populations of this bat may persist in open landscapes whose current structure is the result of historical deforestation. We unveiled the roosting and foraging ecology of B. barbastellus in a clay badland area of central Italy where forested habitats are absent and woody vegetation is scarce. Bats in badlands used rock crevices in lieu of the typical maternity tree-roosts and largely foraged in non-forest habitat, alongside riparian vegetation, where they found moth-rich hunting sites. Body condition and sex ratio did not differ from those documented in a source population found in mature forest in the same region. Our study identifies the hitherto overlooked importance of apparently unsuitable landscapes for the conservation of bats regarded as forests specialists and highlights that such environments and the associated occurrence of favoured prey should be carefully considered in management plans. Article in Journal/Newspaper Barbastella barbastellus IRIS Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Biodiversity and Conservation 24 1 171 185 |
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IRIS Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II |
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ftunivnapoliiris |
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unknown |
description |
Although open landscapes are typically regarded as inhospitable matrix for several species of forest bats, their role may be crucial for maintaining gene flow among otherwise isolated populations occurring in distant forest fragments. The barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) is a bat species previously known to depend on mature forest and dead trees in its wide yet fragmented range. We tested the general hypothesis that viable populations of this bat may persist in open landscapes whose current structure is the result of historical deforestation. We unveiled the roosting and foraging ecology of B. barbastellus in a clay badland area of central Italy where forested habitats are absent and woody vegetation is scarce. Bats in badlands used rock crevices in lieu of the typical maternity tree-roosts and largely foraged in non-forest habitat, alongside riparian vegetation, where they found moth-rich hunting sites. Body condition and sex ratio did not differ from those documented in a source population found in mature forest in the same region. Our study identifies the hitherto overlooked importance of apparently unsuitable landscapes for the conservation of bats regarded as forests specialists and highlights that such environments and the associated occurrence of favoured prey should be carefully considered in management plans. |
author2 |
Ancillotto, Leonardo Cistrone, Luca Fabio, Mosconi Gareth, Jone Luigi, Boitani Russo, Danilo |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
ANCILLOTTO, LEONARDO CISTRONE, LUCA Fabio Mosconi Gareth Jones Luigi Boitani RUSSO, DANILO |
spellingShingle |
ANCILLOTTO, LEONARDO CISTRONE, LUCA Fabio Mosconi Gareth Jones Luigi Boitani RUSSO, DANILO The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
author_facet |
ANCILLOTTO, LEONARDO CISTRONE, LUCA Fabio Mosconi Gareth Jones Luigi Boitani RUSSO, DANILO |
author_sort |
ANCILLOTTO, LEONARDO |
title |
The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
title_short |
The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
title_full |
The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
title_fullStr |
The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
The importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) |
title_sort |
importance of non-forest landscapes for the conservation of forest bats: lessons from barbastelles (barbastella barbastellus) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11588/593695 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 |
genre |
Barbastella barbastellus |
genre_facet |
Barbastella barbastellus |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000348114100011 volume:24 firstpage:171 lastpage:185 numberofpages:15 journal:BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION http://hdl.handle.net/11588/593695 doi:10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-84922003831 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0802-7 |
container_title |
Biodiversity and Conservation |
container_volume |
24 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
171 |
op_container_end_page |
185 |
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1809900727711039488 |