Aerosphere occupancy (ψ) model of lesser short nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotisMuller, 1838) related to tree species in Asia mountainous paddy fields

Abstract

Bat is animal that occupies aerosphere, especially fruit bats that forage on the space around the trees. The fruit bats use whether narrow space below tree canopy or in edge space on the edge of canopy. Whereas the aerosphere occupancy of fruits bats related to the specific tree species is poorly understood. Here, this paper aims to assess and model the association of fruit bat Cynopterus brachyotis aerosphere occupancy (ψ) with tree species planted in mountainous paddy fields in West Java. The studied tree species including Alianthus altissima, Acacia sp., Cocos nucifera, Mangifera indica, Pinus sp., and Swietenia macrophylla. The result shows that the tree species diversity has significantly (x2 = 27.67, P < 0.05) affected the C. brachyotis aerosphere occupancy. According to values of ψ and occupancy percentage, high occupancy of narrow space by C. brachyotis was observed in Swietenia macrophylla (ψ = 0.934, 78%), followed by Alianthus altissima (ψ = 0.803, 57%), and Mangifera indica (ψ = 0.913, 55%). While high occupancy of edge space was observed in Mangifera indica (ψ = 0.685, 41%), followed by Pinus sp. (ψ = 0.674, 38%), and Alianthus altissima sp. (ψ = 0.627, 36%). The best model for explaining C. brachyotis occupation in narrow space is the tree height with preferences on high tree (ψ~tree height, AIC = 1.574, R2 = 0.5535, Adj. R = 0.4047). While for edge space occupant, the best model is also the tree height (ψ~tree height, AIC = -26.1510, R2 = 0.7944, Adj. R = 0.7258).