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Publicação
Bat diversity boosts ecosystem services: Evidence from pine processionary moth predation
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Coniferous forests contribute to the European economy; however, they have experienced a decline since the late
1990s due to an invasive pest known as the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The impacts of
this pest are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Traditional control strategies involving pesticides have
had negative effects on public health and the environment. Instead, forest managers seek a more ecological and
sustainable approach to management that promotes the natural actions of pest control agents. This study aims to
evaluate the role of bats in suppressing pine processionary moths in pine forests and examine how the bat
community composition and abundance influence pest consumption. Bats were sampled in the mountainous
environment of the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal to collect faecal samples for DNA meta-barcoding
analysis. We assessed the relationship between a) bat richness, b) bat relative abundance, c) bat diet richness,
and the frequency of pine processionary moth consumption. Our findings indicate that sites with the highest bat
species richness and abundance exhibit the highest levels of pine processionary moth consumption. The intensity
of pine processionary moth consumption is independent of insect diversity within the site. The highest occur-
rence of pine processionary moth presence in bat diets is primarily observed in species that forage in cluttered
habitats. A typical predator of pine processionary moths among bats is likely to be a forest-dwelling species that
specialises in consuming Lepidoptera. These species primarily use short-range echolocation calls, which are
relatively inaudible to tympanate moths, suitable for locating prey in cluttered environments, employing a
gleaning hunting strategy. Examples include species from the genera Plecotus, Myotis, and Rhinolophus. This study
enhances our understanding of the potential pest consumption services provided by bats in pine forests. The
insights gained from this research can inform integrated pest management practices in forestry.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
ecosystem services forest bats forest management guilds pest suppression Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Augusto, A.M., Raposeira,H., Horta,P., Mata, V.A., Aizpurua, O., Alberdi, A., Jones, G., Razgour, O., Santos,S.A.P., Russo, D., Rebelo, H. Bat diversity boosts ecosystem services: Evidence from pine processionary moth predation, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 912, 2024, 169387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169387
Editora
Elsevier