Bat species diversity and conservation in Libo World Natural Heritage Site of South China Karst

A comprehensive survey of bat species diversity in the Libo World Natural Heritage Site, part of South China Karst, revealed 24 bat species across seven families, including two new records for Guizhou Province and 11 species documented for the first time in Libo. These findings highlight the region's significant biodiversity but also underscore severe threats posed by cave exploitation for tourism, which disrupts the habitat of cave-dwelling bats. The study combined field surveys from 69 caves across six townships with museum specimen analysis and literature reviews to provide a detailed assessment. To mitigate these threats, the researchers propose specialized conservation strategies tailored to protect bat roosting sites within this UNESCO-listed area.

Tianyou, Y., Xiufa, H., Yingxiang, W., & Jiang, Z. (2014). Bat species diversity and conservation in Libo World Natural Heritage Site of South China Karst. Biodiversity Science, 22(3), 385. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1003.2014.13148