Effects of Forest Fragmentation on the Vertical Stratification of Neotropical Bats

Forest fragmentation significantly alters the vertical stratification of bat assemblages, with upper forest strata supporting greater diversity and midstory layers showing higher abundance in fragments compared to continuous forest. The study, conducted over three years in the Central Amazon's Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, used ground and canopy mist-nets to capture 3077 individuals from 46 species across continuous forest and fragments of varying sizes (1, 10, and 100 ha). Notably, species like Artibeus lituratus and Rhinophylla pumilio exhibited distinct shifts in their vertical distribution patterns between continuous forest and fragments. These findings underscore the impact of fragmentation on bat assemblages, providing critical insights for evidence-based conservation efforts.

Silva, I., Rocha, R., López-Baucells, A., Farneda, F. Z., & Meyer, C. F. J. (2020). Effects of Forest Fragmentation on the Vertical Stratification of Neotropical Bats. Diversity, 12(2), 67. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12020067