The Critical Importance of Old World Fruit Bats for Healthy Ecosystems and Economies

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 9

Published: April 6, 2021

Despite extensive documentation of the ecological and economic importance Old World fruit bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) many threats they face from humans, negative attitudes towards pteropodids have persisted, fuelled by perceptions as being pests undesirable neighbours. Such long-term negativity is now further exacerbated more recent disease-related concerns, particularly associated with current COVID-19 pandemic. There remains an urgent need to investigate highlight positive beneficial aspects across World. While previous reviews summarised these extensively, numerous new studies conducted over last 36 years provided valuable data insights which warrant updated review. Here we synthesise research on pteropodid-plant interactions, comprising diet, roles, ecosystem services, during 1985-2020. We uncovered a total 311 covering 75 out known 201 pteropodid species (37%), in 47 countries. The majority documented diet (52% all studies; 67 species), followed foraging movement (49%; 50 fewer directly investigating roles played seed dispersal (24%; 41 pollination (14%; 19 conflict growers (12%; 11 species). Pteropodids were recorded feeding 1072 plant 493 genera 148 families, fruits parts consumed, flowers/nectar/pollen, leaves, other miscellaneous parts. Sixteen been confirmed act pollinators for 21 species, 29 dispersers species. Anthropogenic disrupting bat-plant interactions include hunting, direct persecution, habitat loss/disturbance, invasive climate change, leading ecosystem-level repercussions. identify notable gaps important priorities support conservation action pteropodids.

Language: Английский

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A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Dec. 12, 2023

Free-ranging cats (Felis catus) are globally distributed invasive carnivores that markedly impact biodiversity. Here, to evaluate the potential threat of cats, we develop a comprehensive global assessment species consumed by cats. We identify 2,084 eaten which 347 (16.65%) conservation concern. Islands contain threefold more concern than continents do. Birds, reptiles, and mammals constitute ~90% consumed, with insects amphibians being less frequent. Approximately 9% known birds, 6% mammals, 4% reptile identified in cat diets. 97% <5 kg adult body mass, though much larger also eaten. The accumulation curves not asymptotic, indicating our estimates conservative. Our results demonstrate extreme generalist predators, is critical for understanding their on ecological systems developing management solutions.

Language: Английский

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To improve or not to improve? The dilemma of “bat-friendly” farmland potentially becoming an ecological trap

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 375, P. 109215 - 109215

Published: July 30, 2024

Conventional agriculture occupies a substantial portion of Earth's terrestrial surface and adversely affects biodiversity through pesticide spread, mechanisation, loss spatial temporal heterogeneity farmed landscapes. Consequently, conventional has become primary target many restoration projects operating at various scales, from habitat to landscape. While these efforts aim increase farmland promote the delivery associated ecosystem services, unintended consequences may arise when important threats are not mitigated. For instance, animals be led make maladaptive choices, lured attractive sites with poor quality (ecological traps), resulting in adverse effects on individual fitness demography. We focus our review European as case study because its extensive presence continent particularly articulated legal framework regulating within Union. Europe's policy is dual-faced: one promotes development regardless management practices, while other advocates for protection measures that sometimes lack strong supporting evidence or overlook critical aspects. Insectivorous bats contribute significantly service insectivory agricultural landscapes, consuming large numbers pest arthropods. However, restoring habitats farmland, potential outcomes must considered, if actions accompanied by mitigation key threats. These include persistent widespread use pesticides, road networks, siting wind turbines opportunistic predators, especially domestic cats. argue installing bat boxes enhancing landscape features, such increasing connectivity diversity, potentially trap yet unsuitable environments environmental highly valued populations, it crucial avoid neglecting factors could have opposite effect, turning 'improved' into sink. Research urgently needed understand inform policymakers.

Language: Английский

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Susceptibility of bats to ecological and evolutionary traps

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 305, P. 111110 - 111110

Published: March 25, 2025

Language: Английский

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Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats

Pathogens, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 10(3), P. 304 - 304

Published: March 5, 2021

Bats are often unfairly depicted as the direct culprit in current COVID-19 pandemic, yet real causes of this and other zoonotic spillover events should be sought human impact on environment, including spread domestic animals. Here, we discuss bat predation by cats a phenomenon bringing about risks illustrate cases observed, suspected or hypothesized pathogen transmission from bats to cats, certainly likely following episodes. In addition well-known rabies, review diseases that affect humans might eventually reach them through prey bats. We also examine potential SARS-CoV-2, causal agent COVID-19, bats, which, although unlikely, generate novel wildlife reservoir these mammals, identify research management directions achieve more effective risk assessment, mitigation prevention. Overall, not only does killing represent potentially serious threat biodiversity conservation, but it bears implications can no longer neglected.

Language: Английский

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Distinctive diets of eutherian predators in Australia

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(10)

Published: Oct. 1, 2022

Introduction of the domestic cat and red fox has devastated Australian native fauna. We synthesized diet analyses to identify traits prey species in cat, dingo diets, which were more frequent or distinctive each predator, quantified dietary overlap. Nearly half (45%) all terrestrial mammal, bird reptile occurred diets one predators. Cat overlapped least (0.64 ± 0.27, n = 24 location/time points) changed little over 55 years study. Cats likely have eaten birds, reptiles small mammals than foxes dingoes. Dingo remained constant 53 constituted largest species, including macropods/potoroids, wombats, monotremes bandicoots/bilbies cats foxes. Fox had greater overlap with both (0.79 0.20, 37) dingoes (0.73 0.21, 42), fewer items (plant material, possums/gliders) significant spatial temporal heterogeneity 69 years, suggesting opportunity for switching (especially mammal prey) mitigate competition. Our study reinforced concerns about mesopredator impacts upon scarce/threatened need control fauna conservation. However, extensive opportunism, as well low incidence mesopredators precluded resolution debate possible suppression cats.

Language: Английский

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Habitat sharing and interspecies interactions in caves used by bats in the Republic of Congo

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13, P. e18145 - e18145

Published: Jan. 9, 2025

Bats play key roles in ecosystem functions and provide services to human populations. There is a need protect bat populations mitigate the risks associated with pathogen spillover. Caves are habitats for many species, which use them as roosting breeding sites. Caves, bats their guano also attract other animals along trophic chains might favor direct or indirect interspecies interactions. Two caves hosting colonies of insectivorous have been investigated Republic Congo characterize habitat sharing interactions between bats, humans animals. We set up camera-trap monitoring protocol during 19 months at entrance inside each cave. Our results demonstrated richness complexity species around within these caves. identified and/or quantified mainly rodents, but numerous categories such insects, birds, reptiles carnivores using temporal variation potential humans, wild colonies. study contributes understanding interface interactions, first time quantified, cave-dwelling animal including humans. This knowledge important promote conservation cave ecosystems better understand ecology infectious diseases.

Language: Английский

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Pinpointing bird species vulnerability to free-ranging domestic cats using trait-based predictive models

Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 174, P. 113434 - 113434

Published: April 15, 2025

Language: Английский

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Diel activity of free-ranging cats and their mammalian and avian prey on the oceanic Madeira Island, Macaronesia

European Journal of Wildlife Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 71(3)

Published: May 6, 2025

Language: Английский

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The wild cost of invasive feral animals worldwide

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 912, P. 169281 - 169281

Published: Dec. 14, 2023

Language: Английский

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