Seasonal challenges of tropical bats (<i>Rousettus aegyptiacus</i>) in temperate zones

Weinberg, Maya; Mazar, Omer; Goutnik, Sohpie; Harten, Lee; Handel, Michal; Czirják, G. Á.; Yovel, Yossi

doi:10.1101/2021.12.31.473712

Cited by 1 publication

(7 citation statements)

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“…Anthropogenic pressures coupled with climate change significantly impact the geographic range of fruit bats, such as R. aegypticus (Cooper-Bohannon et al, 2016;Moretto & Francis, 2017;Rezende et al, 2020;Schoeman et al, 2013). These factors have caused changes in precipitation, temperature, droughts, and wildfires that have impacted bats habitat, to which the fruit bats have responded rapidly (Allen et al, 2021;Pruvot et al, 2019;Weinberg et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This result is consistent with the findings that seasonal precipitation has a significant impact on the distribution and suitability of bats (Bandara et al, 2022;Bilgin & Rebelo, 2012). In addition, it impacts the foraging and social structures of bats, potentially delaying reproduction and increasing the risk of their survival (Adams, 2010;Frick et al, 2010;Luo et al, 2020;Mello et al, 2009;Richter & Cumming, 2008;Sherwin et al, 2012;Weinberg et al, 2022). Recent studies show that the foraging behavior, food quality, and water sources of R. aegyptiacus are influenced by seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation in the driest quarter, and annual temperature (Arumoogum et al, 2019;Bilgin & Rebelo, 2012;Lucan et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…aegypticus (Cooper‐Bohannon et al, 2016 ; Moretto & Francis, 2017 ; Rezende et al, 2020 ; Schoeman et al, 2013 ). These factors have caused changes in precipitation, temperature, droughts, and wildfires that have impacted bats habitat, to which the fruit bats have responded rapidly (Allen et al, 2021 ; Pruvot et al, 2019 ; Weinberg et al, 2022 ). Our results indicate that population index and land use and land cover changes have a great impact on the predicted suitable habitat for the targeted species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fruit bats, including R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus, are known for their ability to travel long distances and adapt to changing environmental conditions. This allows them to explore new geographical landscapes in search of better food resources and roosting sites (Benda et al, 2012;Egert-Berg et al, 2021;Weinberg et al, 2022).…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are vulnerable to a lack of food or resources such as fruits, nectar, and water (Del Vaglio et al, 2011 ; Teeling et al, 2005 ). Climate change is linked with seasonal changes and temperature variation, which influence the foraging behavior, food quality, and water sources of fruit bats (Allen et al, 2021 ; Arumoogum et al, 2019 ; Lucan et al, 2014 ; Pruvot et al, 2019 ; Weinberg et al, 2022 ). Anthropogenic pressures and climate change worsen habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, urbanization, disease, roost destruction, and fragmentation (Aziz et al, 2021 ; Frick et al, 2020 ; Jan et al, 2017 ; Jones et al, 2009 ; Lok et al, 2021 ; Sherwin et al, 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of climate change on the distribution and predicted habitat suitability of two fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus) in Ethiopia: Implications for conservation

Ahmed,

Bekele,

Kasso

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Fruit bats serve as crucial bioindicators, seed dispersers, pollinators, and contributors to food security within ecosystems. However, their population and distribution were threatened by climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the impacts of these pressures through mapping distribution and habitat suitability is crucial for identifying high‐priority areas and implementing effective conservation and management plans. We predicted the distribution and extent of habitat suitability for Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus under climate change scenarios using average predictions from four different algorithms to produce an ensemble model. Seasonal precipitation, population index, land‐use land cover, vegetation, and the mean temperature of the driest quarter majorly contributed to the predicted habitat suitability for both species. The current predicted sizes of suitable habitats for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus were varied, on average 60,271.4 and 85,176.1 km2, respectively. The change in species range size for R. aegyptiacus showed gains in suitable areas of 24.4% and 22.8% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. However, for E. labiatus, suitable areas decreased by 0.95% and 2% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. The range size change of suitable areas between 2050 and 2070 for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus shows losses of 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The predicted maps indicate that the midlands and highlands of southern and eastern Ethiopia harbor highly suitable areas for both species. In contrast, the areas in the northern and central highlands are fragmented. The current model findings show that climate change and anthropogenic pressures have notable impacts on the geographic ranges of two species. Moreover, the predicted suitable habitats for both species are found both within and outside of their historical ranges, which has important implications for conservation efforts. Our ensemble predictions are vital for identifying high‐priority areas for fruit bat species conservation efforts and management to mitigate climate change and anthropogenic pressures.

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