Organic farming sustains bats in Mediterranean farmland

Ancillotto, Leonardo; Scaramella, Chiara; Dartora, Fabio; Migliozzi, Antonello; Russo, Danilo

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108230

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Here, we show that Porto Santo is still home to an extant population of Pipistrellus maderensis and provide much-needed information about their habitat affinities, phylogenetic kinship, and trophic interactions. Bats are known to present marked responses to landscape features in both island and non-island ecosystems (Ancillotto et al, 2023;López-Baucells et al, 2021). In the nearby island of Madeira, Pipistrellus maderensis was found to be particularly associated with shrubland, agricultural areas, and Laurisilva (primary) forest (Ferreira et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Culex pipiens, which can spread avian malaria; Hamer et al, 2008;Fros et al, 2015) (Table 1). The high percentage of known or potential agricultural pest species and of species of health relevance consumed by Pipistrellus maderensis highlights the potential role of insectivorous bats as suppressors of arthropods with negative economic and (both human and non-human) disease implications (Montauban et al, 2021;Ancillotto et al, 2022Ancillotto et al, , 2023Ferreira et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insights into the habitat associations, phylogeny, and diet of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo, northeastern Macaronesia

et al. 2023

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Abstract. Around 60 % of all bat species occur in islands, and nearly one in four is an insular endemic. Bats are often the only native terrestrial mammals in oceanic islands, and despite increasing anthropogenic pressures, little is known about the distribution, natural history, and population status of most insular bat populations. The sub-tropical archipelago of Madeira is composed of the volcanic islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and Desertas and is home to the Macaronesian endemic Pipistrellus maderensis, to the endemic subspecies Nyctalus leisleri verrucosus, and to Plecotus austriacus. Pipistrellus maderensis is known to both Madeira and Porto Santo, whereas the other two species have only been recorded in the former. However, no bats have been recorded in Porto Santo for over 15 years, raising fears that bats are probably extinct in the island. In July 2021, we conducted an island-wide acoustic survey using AudioMoth passive acoustic recorders, leading to the detection of Pipistrellus maderensis in 28 out of the 46 sampling sites (60 %). The species' activity was strongly associated with artificial water sources, and genetic samples from six captured individuals revealed that the populations of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo and Madeira have a close phylogenetic affinity. Furthermore, using DNA metabarcoding, we found that the species feeds on a wide variety of insects, including several economically important pest species and disease vectors. These findings emphasise the need to target more conservation and research efforts towards extant island bat populations and the potential ecosystem services they provide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the habitat associations, phylogeny, and diet of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo, northeastern Macaronesia

et al. 2023

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Agriculture and Water Availability Show Contrasting Effects on Bats in a Mediterranean Island of Outstanding Chiropteran Biogeographical Value

Cistrone,

Augusto,

Fichera

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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With their unique ecosystems and evolutionary dynamics, small islands offer fascinating contexts to explore animal diversity. Island bats are key players in maintaining ecological balance. However, their populations are threatened worldwide, necessitating comprehensive research and conservation strategies. Pantelleria, a small Mediterranean island and a biogeographic crossroad between Europe and Africa, offers an excellent model to exemplify the challenges to bat conservation in such geographic contexts. We tested three hypotheses: (1) bats would show weak preference patterns for landscape composition due to the island's heterogeneous landscapes, (2) farmland (especially vineyards) would strongly affect bat activity, and (3) distance from water sources would highly influence bat richness and activity. We surveyed bats acoustically using Audiomoth recorders covering most of the island's surface. We recorded seven bat species, including endangered Plecotus gaisleri, Myotis punicus and Rhinolophus mehelyi. Bats showed weak preferences for specific landscape composition, but the dominant species (Pipistrellus kuhlii) decreased its activity for increasing portions of vineyards within the landscape. Moreover, distance to water critically influenced bat richness and activity. Agricultural expansion, pesticide use and human activities pose significant threats to bats on Pantelleria. We advocate for sustainable farming practices and careful water resource management to safeguard bat habitats and mitigate these threats. Conservation should target vineyards, a key economic resource to produce world‐renowned wine ‘Passito di Pantelleria’ by reducing pesticide use and adopting organic management. Water might be supplemented in critical dry habitats. We urge the preservation of bat diversity to support ecosystem health and resilience on small islands like Pantelleria.

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Responses of insectivorous bats to different types of land-use in an endemic-rich island in Central West Africa

Castro-Fernandes,

Araújo-Fernandes,

Guedes

et al. 2025

Biological Conservation

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Organic farming sustains bats in Mediterranean farmland

Cited by 8 publications

References 34 publications

Insights into the habitat associations, phylogeny, and diet of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo, northeastern Macaronesia

Insights into the habitat associations, phylogeny, and diet of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo, northeastern Macaronesia

Agriculture and Water Availability Show Contrasting Effects on Bats in a Mediterranean Island of Outstanding Chiropteran Biogeographical Value

Responses of insectivorous bats to different types of land-use in an endemic-rich island in Central West Africa

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