Phyllostomid Bat Diversity of Tree Covers in the Tropical Agricultural Landscape, Ecuador

Abstract Agricultural activities affect tropical forest biodiversity; however, some bat species can survive under these anthropogenic changes. We described the characteristics of phyllostomid bat assemblages in tree covers located in 48 plots among four agricultural landscapes of northwestern Ecuador. Bats were captured with mist nets installed at a ground level reaching three meters’ height. For each of the plots, we installed a mist net in four forms of tree cover (polyspecific live fences, monospecific live fences, cacao plantations, and isolated trees in pastures). We captured 250 phyllostomid bats belonging to 16 species with a trapping effort of 19,200 m2 of net coverage. Polyspecific live fences showed significant differences in relative abundance, richness, and diversity of phyllostomid bats compared to the other three. Frugivorous and nectarivorous guilds were the most abundant, and also exhibited the highest richness among other guilds present in agricultural landscapes. We conclude that living fences composed of various plant species favor the abundance, richness, and diversity of phyllostomid bats. In addition, frugivorous, and nectarivorous guilds increase their abundance and richness in agricultural landscapes, while the animalivorous guild is negatively affected. We recommend installing polyspecific live fences in tropical production systems to support the conservation of phyllostomid bats.