Enrico Bernard

A Biodiversity Assessment of Bats (Chiroptera) in a Tropical Lowland Rainforest of Central Amazonia, Including Methodological and Conservation Considerations

In our study of bat diversity in the Amazon Basin, we captured bats in undisturbed continuous forest and in forest fragments at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) near Manaus, Brazil, from January 1996 until July 1999. We recorded 72 species of bats in a sample of more than 7700 individuals caught during 29,900 mistnet hours in terra-firme forest. Species accumulation curves and mathematical estimates of species numbers based on the number of species captured with standardized methodology suggest that we sampled about 95% of the entire expected bat fauna of the area, including aerial insectivorous bats. Our results are similar to those of other mistnetting inventories of Amazonian bat assemblages in terms of species composition and number of species per bat family. Some species considered widespread in Central Amazonia and expected at our study site were not recorded. We interpret their absence as effects of sampling bias and of local ecological conditions. We know from acoustic monitoring (i.e., identification of bats by their echolocation calls) that our mistnet data are incomplete for aerial insectivorous species. We conclude that the development of comprehensive inventories of key vertebrate taxa such as bats derived from a combination of several standardized sampling procedures is essential to develop meaningful, conservation-oriented plans for land-use and management of protected areas. Resumo Em nosso estudo sobre diversidade de morcegos na Bacia Amazônica, nós capturamos morcegos em floresta contínua não perturbada e em fragmentos florestais no Projeto Dinâmica Biológica de Fragmentos Florestais (PDBFF), próximo à Manaus, Brazil, de Janeiro de 1996 até Julho de 1999. Nós registramos 72 espécies de morcegos capturando cerca de 7700 indivíduos em 29,900 horas de captura em áreas de terra-firme. As curvas de acumulação e modelos matemáticos baseados no número de espécies capturadas com metodologia estandartizada indicam que nós registramos cerca de 95% da fauna esperada para a área, incluindo as capturas de espécies de morcegos aéreos insetívoros. Nossos resultados são equivalentes a outros inventários baseados em redes de captura de morcegos na Amazônia, em termos de composição de espécies e em número de espécies para cada família de morcegos. Algumas espécies consideradas como uniformemente distribuídas na região Amazônica e que deveriam também ocorrer na nossa área de estudo não foram coletadas. Nós interpretamos a ausência de espécies esperadas como um efeito de limitações na metodologia e devido a condições ecológicas locais. Sabemos por monitoramento acústico (identificação de morcegos através dos sinais de ecolocação), que nossos dados de redes de captura estão incompletos para morcegos insetívoros aéreos. Nós concluímos que o desenvolvimento de inventários de grupos chave, como morcegos, com a combinação de vários métodos de amostragem estandardizados é essencial para o desenvolvimento de planos conservationistas significativos no uso da terra e no controle de áreas protegidas.

Neotropical Bats as Indicators of Environmental Disturbance: What is the Emerging Message?

Science has searched for tools to indicate, measure or predict the responses of organisms to environmental disturbances. Neotropical bats have been identified as potential indicators and the number of articles using them is increasing. But contradictory results indicate the need to assess the viability to widely use bats for that purpose. A review on bat responses to forest fragmentation, logging, agricultural conversion or plant sucession was performed to detect patterns and problems, and to identify what is the emerging message. Variations of up to 17 times in the number of replicates, 360 times in the size of experimental areas, 166 times in the size of control areas, and 36 times in captures were detected. Almost 90% of the studies used mistnets, resulting in analyses biased towards phyllostomids. No clear pattern was observed regarding bat responses to the disturbances tested, from no effects on species richness between fragments and control areas, to higher abundances in the surrounding matrices. Most of the studies indicated species-specific responses, and conclusions were based, on average, on 20 species, a fraction of the regional richness. Neotropical bats should be used cautiously as indicators and generalizations should be avoided. Despite the problems identified, bats may contribute to the study of the topic in the Neotropics, as long as basic precautions are followed.

Mammals of Amapá State, Eastern Brazilian Amazonia: a revised taxonomic list with comments on species distributions

Abstract The Guiana Shield has large, preserved areas with high biological diversity. However, the knowledge of this biodiversity differs among the regions with the Brazilian portion poorly known compared to the French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and Venezuela. In the Amapá State, the information on mammals is very heterogeneous and represents a gap in the knowledge of the distribution and diversity of some groups. We compiled a list of the mammals of the Amapá based on the inventories, voucher specimens deposited in the collection Fauna of Amapá at Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá, and previous published studies. We present a list of 181 mammal species. Chiroptera was the order with the highest number of species (88) followed by Rodentia (32). The list includes 17 new occurrences: 16 for Amapá (five marsupials, eight bats, one canid, one cetacea and one rodent) and one for Brazil (one rodent). This species list is the most complete taxonomic review for the Amapá, contributes to the knowledge of mammal diversity north of the Amazon River, and helps increase the precision of the species ranges in the Guianas and the eastern portion of the Amazon.

Rapid biological surveys of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in three conservation units in Amapá, Brazil

With a high biological diversity and good status of preservation, the northern part of the Amazon Basin, and specially the State of Amapa, have their fauna and flora poorly studied. Studies pointed that Amapa has several areas classified as highest priority for faunal inventories in the Amazon Basin, but even that few studies have been conducted. In order to fulfill part of these knowledge gaps, three of the most important conservation units in the State, namely the Tumucumaque Mountains National Park, the Amapa National Forest and the Rio Iratapuru Sustainable Development Reserve, were studied for different biological groups. The results of four bat surveys in these conservation units are presented here. With a sampling effort of 1730.5 mistnet.hours, 858 bats were recorded, belonging to 51 species, 36 genus and six families. At least 25 of these species are first records for the State, elevating to 73 the number of bat species already recorded in Amapa.

Habitat use and movements of Glossophaga soricina and Lonchophylla dekeyseri (Chiroptera : Phyllostomidae) in a Neotropical savannah

The greatest current threat to terrestrial fauna is continuous and severe landscape modification that destroys and degrades animal habitats. This rapid and severe modification has threatened species, local biological communities, and the ecological services that they provide, such as seed dispersal, insect predation, and pollination. Bats are important pollinators of the Cerrado (woodland savanna) because of their role in the life cycles of many plant species. However, there is little information about how these bat species are being affected by habitat loss and fragmentation. We used radio-tracking to estimate the home ranges of Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1776) and Lonchophylla dekeyseri Taddei, Vizotto & Sazima, 1983. The home range of G. soricina varies from 430 to 890 ha. They combine shortrange flights of up to 500 m to nearby areas with longer flights of 2 to 3 km that take them away from their core areas. The maximum flight distance tracked for L. dekeyseri was 3.8 km, and its home range varies from 564 to 640 ha. The average distance travelled by this species was 1.3 km. Our data suggest that G. soricina and L. dekeyseri are able to explore the fragmented landscape of the Central Brazilian Cerrado and that they are likely to survive in the short- to medium-term. The natural dispersal ability of these two species may enable them to compensate for continued human disturbance in the region.

Site and refuge use by giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) in the Western Brazilian Amazonia

Giant river otters are endangered and knowledge about this species is incomplete, especially in the Brazilian Amazonia, which holds large populations of the species. In order to improve our knowledge for species conservation, we present data on site and refuge use by giant river otters in the Amanã Reserve, Brazilian Amazonia. During 40 sampling trips (October 2004 to September 2008) we recorded information and the physical characteristics of 193 campsites, 182 dens and 62 resting sites. Animals were site-selective, preferentially building their dens, campsites and resting sites at < 2 m from the water, on slopes < 45°, and avoiding using water bodies < 1 m deep. The information presented here stresses the importance of river margins for giant river otters, indicating that these areas are key habitats for their conservation.

Challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Forest in face of bioethanol expansion

Brazil is the world largest producer of sugarcane ethanol, an alternative to gasoline. Large players, including international oil companies, are aware of the potential of Brazilian ethanol and are investing in the production and expansion of sugarcane plantations in the country. The growing ethanol market imposes some conservation challenges on Brazil to meet the increasing demand. The market points out to an expansion of sugarcane crops, but this can be extremely harmful to the remaining biodiversity of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The impact of such expansion will be more severe in the states of Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte, the second largest sugar-ethanol production region, and one of the most globally threatened areas of tropical forest (only 12% left, ∼ 1% legally protected). There, most forest fragments are smaller than 100 ha and several endemic species are on the verge of extinction. Here we advocate that instead of expanding plantations, increasing crop productivity should be the more logical and environment-friendly solution for that region. Further, we indicate that the current challenge is to increase the number of sugar and ethanol companies following best management practices and to turn these programs into a real opportunity to restore the biodiversity and environmental services of an ecosystems in eminent collapse. We urge that companies should move one step further and, at least, guarantee the protection of the habitats that go beyond the protection area imposed by the current environmental law.

Filling data gaps on the diversity and distribution of Amazonian bats (Chiroptera): The case of Amapá, easternmost Brazil.

Brazil is the second most bat species-rich country in the world, but the information on its species diversity, occurrence and distribution is still heterogeneous and fragmented. None of the Brazilian biomes are well surveyed for bats, but this situation is more critical in Amazonia, an area covering nearly 2/3 of the country. Here we provide updated information on the bats of Amapa, once a data gap in the diversity and distribution of bats in the easternmost Amazonia, and the Guiana Shield as well. Rapid biological assessments (5,551 mistnet.hours) were conducted in conservation units and areas of concern, resulting in 1,695 captures, 59 species, 36 genera and six families for the State. New records for the state and for the Guiana Shield area are reported. With our records, 82 species of bats are currently known in Amapa, filling a gap in the knowledge of bat fauna in the Amazon Rivers delta region.

Reoccupation of historical areas by the endangered giant river otter Pteronura brasiliensis (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Abstract After decades of banning commercial hunting, the population of the endangered giant river otter in South America is no larger than 5000 animals, with slightly increasing populations, and apparent reoccupation of parts of its historical distribution. In Brazil, which may hold the largest populations, the refinement of distributional data and the conduction of censuses in Amazonia were identified as essential for the conservation of the species. To confirm if the species was, in fact, reoccupying its historical area, we present here data collected between October 2004 and September 2008 in Amanã Reserve, Central Amazonia. A total of 18,181 km along 13 water bodies were surveyed in 465 days of fieldwork, resulting in 711 records. Animals presented a uniform occupation pattern, with expansion to new areas, no vacancy of previously used ones, and with frequent reuse of sites along the years. However, considering the number of records/km and sightings/km were almost constant between years, the local population may be experiencing just a slight increase, with animals probably expanding their home ranges. Although our study witnessed some population growth, giant river otters remained at low numbers during the survey, indicating that such population still have not reached its carrying capacity and require continuous attention.

New records, potential distribution, and conservation of the Near Threatened cave bat Natalus macrourus in Brazil

Species with specific roosting, foraging or breeding requirements are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. For bats, the availability and environmental condition of caves can be a limiting factor. The cave specialist Natalus macrourus (formerly Natalus espiritosantensis ) is categorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List but as Vulnerable in Brazil, based on a projected population reduction and a decline in its area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat. There is a lack of knowledge about the species’ distribution, natural history and ecology, information that is required for conservation. Using new occurrence data and potential distribution modelling we evaluated the distribution of N. macrourus in Brazil, analysed pressures on and threats to the species, and assessed the species’ conservation needs. Natalus macrourus is positively associated with areas with higher probability of cave occurrence and negatively associated with areas of high variation in mean daily temperature and mean annual rainfall. Areas with high environmental suitability for N. macrourus correspond to only 3% of the potential distribution modelled. We estimate that the species has already lost 54% of its natural habitat and that there is N. macrourus with caves, it is important to protect these habitats, and we recommend that caves where the species is present should receive immediate protection.