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Zhu D, Liu Y, Gong L, Si M, Wang Q, Feng J, Jiang T. The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:815. [PMID: 38473199 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Lixin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Man Si
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Qiuya Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Tinglei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
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Froidevaux JSP, Jones G, Kerbiriou C, Park KJ. Acoustic activity of bats at power lines correlates with relative humidity: a potential role for corona discharges. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222510. [PMID: 36919430 PMCID: PMC10015334 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
With the ever-increasing dependency on electric power, electrical grid networks are expanding worldwide. Bats exhibit a wide diversity of foraging and flight behaviours, and their sensitivity to anthropogenic stressors suggests this group is very likely to be affected by power lines in a myriad of ways. Yet the effects of power lines on bats remains unknown. Here we assessed the responses of insectivorous bats to very high voltage power lines (VHVPL; greater than 220 kV). We implemented a paired sampling design and monitored bats acoustically at 25 pairs, one pair consisting of one forest edge near to VHVPL matched with one control forest edge. Relative humidity mediates the effects of power lines on bats: we detected bat attraction to VHVPL at high relative humidity levels and avoidance of VHVPL by bats at low relative humidity levels. We argue that the former could be explained by insect attraction to the light emitted by VHVPL owing to corona discharges while the latter may be owing to the physical presence of pylons/cables at foraging height and/or because of electromagnetic fields. Our work highlights the response of bats to power lines at foraging habitats, providing new insight into the interactions between power lines and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy S P Froidevaux
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LJ, UK.,Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, Concarneau/Paris 29900/75005, France.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, Concarneau/Paris 29900/75005, France
| | - Kirsty J Park
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LJ, UK
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Mariton L, Kerbiriou C, Bas Y, Zanda B, Le Viol I. Even low light pollution levels affect the spatial distribution and timing of activity of a "light tolerant" bat species. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 305:119267. [PMID: 35398157 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
By disrupting nocturnal landscapes worldwide, light pollution caused by Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. As even low light intensities might affect some taxa, concerns are arising about biological responses to widespread low light levels. We used data from a French citizen science bat monitoring program (1894 full-nights monitored on 1055 sites) to explore the landscape-scale effects of light on an open-space-foraging bat species, the Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus). We assessed this species' abundance and timing of night-time activity (median time of activity) at foraging sites. ALAN, and to a lesser extent moonlight, reduced E. serotinus abundance. ALAN delayed activity, and this delay was amplified during overcast nights. On the contrary, where there was no ALAN, the higher the cloud cover, the earlier the activity occurred. Cloud cover likely darkened the night sky in rural locations, whereas it amplified skyglow in light-polluted places, increasing ALAN effects on bats. Interestingly, moonlight also delayed activity but this effect was weakened where there was ALAN. Our study shows that even fine variations of light levels could affect the spatiotemporal distribution of a common species usually considered to be "light tolerant", with potential cascading effects on individual fitness and population dynamics. It stresses how urgent it is to preserve and restore dark areas to protect biodiversity from light pollution while working on light intensity and directivity where ALAN is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Mariton
- Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 Place de La Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France; Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 61 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 Place de La Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
| | - Yves Bas
- Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France.
| | - Brigitte Zanda
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 61 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 Place de La Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
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Dekker J, Steen W, Bouman HB, van der Vliet RE. Differences in acoustic detectibility of bat species hamper Environmental Impact Assessment studies. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01562-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Mancini MCS, Hintze F, de Souza Laurindo R, de Macêdo Mello R, Gregorin R. Tradition vs. innovation: comparing bioacoustics and mist-net results to bat sampling. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2021.2008494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Camargo Silva Mancini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brasil
| | - Frederico Hintze
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade & Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brasil
| | - Rafael de Souza Laurindo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brasil
| | - Rodrigo de Macêdo Mello
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brasil
| | - Renato Gregorin
- Centro de Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brasil
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Barré K, Kerbiriou C, Ing RK, Bas Y, Azam C, Le Viol I, Spoelstra K. Bats seek refuge in cluttered environment when exposed to white and red lights at night. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:3. [PMID: 33482918 PMCID: PMC7821510 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00238-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artificial light at night is recognized as an increasing threat to biodiversity. However, information on the way highly mobile taxa such as bats spatially respond to light is limited. Following the hypothesis of a behavioural adaptation to the perceived risks of predation, we hypothesised that bats should avoid lit areas by shifting their flight route to less exposed conditions. METHODS Using 3D acoustic localization at four experimentally illuminated sites, we studied how the distance to streetlights emitting white and red light affected the Probability of bats Flying Inside the Forest (PFIF) versus along the forest edge. RESULTS We show that open-, edge-, and narrow-space foraging bats strongly change flight patterns by increasing PFIF when getting closer to white and red streetlights placed in the forest edge. These behavioural changes occurred mainly on the streetlight side where light was directed. CONCLUSIONS The results show that bats cope with light exposure by actively seeking refuge in cluttered environment, potentially due to involved predation risks. This is a clear indication that bats make use of landscape structures when reacting to light, and shows the potential of vegetation and streetlight orientation in mitigating effects of light. The study nevertheless calls for preserving darkness as the most efficient way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Barré
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France
| | - Ros-Kiri Ing
- Institut Langevin, UMR 7587 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7), 1 rue Jussieu, 75238, Paris, France
| | - Yves Bas
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Clémentine Azam
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France
| | - Kamiel Spoelstra
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Puig-Montserrat X, Flaquer C, Gómez-Aguilera N, Burgas A, Mas M, Tuneu C, Marquès E, López-Baucells A. Bats actively prey on mosquitoes and other deleterious insects in rice paddies: Potential impact on human health and agriculture. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:3759-3769. [PMID: 32431084 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fact that bats suppress agricultural pests has been measured for some particular dyads of predator and prey species in both economic and food security terms. The recent emergence of new molecular techniques allows for more precise screenings of bat's diet than the traditional visual identification systems and provides further evidence that bats consume an ample array of agricultural pest species. The main focus of the regulatory services that bats provide in agroecosystems has been on crop pests that cause yield losses. Rice paddies constitute a particular agronomic system with specific challenges, not only related to crop productivity but also to human health. Dipteran density in such ecosystems poses a serious threat to human wellbeing and hinders crop production. Mosquitoes cause direct harm to human populations, transmitting a number of infectious diseases. Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) can consume and weaken rice seedlings and can cause major yield losses. RESULTS Mosquito populations and bat activity were assessed in rice paddies of Montgrí, Medes i Baix Ter Natural Park (NE Iberian Peninsula). Molecular analyses of bats faeces (6-weekly samples of 15 faeces each between mid-August and September) proved the presence of both mosquitoes and nonbiting midges in all diet samples. Furthermore, bat activity at the sampling locations was related to adult mosquito density. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that bats actively exploit the emergence of adult mosquitoes and further prove that they prey on mosquitoes, nonbiting midges and other deleterious insects. Promoting the presence of bats next to human settlements in such agroecosystems may constitute a biological control system with direct impact on both human health and crop yield. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Puig-Montserrat
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
- Galanthus Association, Celrà, Spain
| | - Carles Flaquer
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | | | | | - Maria Mas
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | - Carme Tuneu
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | - Eduard Marquès
- Servei de Control de Mosquits de la Badia de Roses i del Baix Ter, Castelló d'Empúries, Spain
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Revilla-Martín N, Budinski I, Puig-Montserrat X, Flaquer C, López-Baucells A. Monitoring cave-dwelling bats using remote passive acoustic detectors: a new approach for cave monitoring. BIOACOUSTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2020.1816492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Revilla-Martín
- Biodiversity and Bioindicators (BiBIO), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivana Budinski
- Biodiversity and Bioindicators (BiBIO), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Xavier Puig-Montserrat
- Biodiversity and Bioindicators (BiBIO), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
- Galanthus Association, Celrà, Spain
| | - Carles Flaquer
- Biodiversity and Bioindicators (BiBIO), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | - Adrià López-Baucells
- Biodiversity and Bioindicators (BiBIO), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
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The Relative Effects of Local and Landscape Characteristics of Hedgerows on Bats. DIVERSITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/d10030072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of hedgerows in maintaining biodiversity in areas of intensive agriculture is well known, particularly for bats. However, few studies have addressed the importance of the intrinsic characteristics of hedgerows for bats and disentangled the relative effects of local and landscape characteristics of hedgerows on bat activity. In an acoustic survey, we assessed bat activity by recording bat calls using detectors and manually verified all calls using spectrogram analysis. The parameters used to determine local hedgerow structures were the length of the line of trees, of shrub hedgerows, of wooded hedgerows without shrubs and of hedgerows including the three strata (tree, shrub and herb) at a local scale. We assessed the influence of hedgerow structure and on bat activity with an approach considering both species and community, comparing two different scales, the local and the landscape. We highlighted the importance of hedgerow characteristics for bats on both the local and landscape scales even though responses differ between species and spatial scales. We found that the presence of trees in hedgerows exerts a generally positive influence on bat activity and that hedgerows with the three strata had lower bat activity than hedgerows with trees. In our study, some bats seemed to prefer agricultural landscapes dominated by wooded hedgerows and, on the local scale, hedgerows that include trees with little diversified among strata, except for gleaning species. Our study shows that in terms of hedgerow management, conservation efforts must be designed and undertaken on both the local and landscape scales.
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