Journal ArticleDOI
Ecosystem services provided by bats
Thomas H. Kunz,Elizabeth Braun de Torrez,Dana Marie Bauer,Tatyana A. Lobova,Theodore H. Fleming +4 more
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TLDR
Information on the ecological and economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats can be used to inform decisions regarding where and when to protect or restore bat populations and associated habitats, as well as to improve public perception of bats.Abstract:
Ecosystem services are the benefits obtained from the environment that increase human well-being. Economic valuation is conducted by measuring the human welfare gains or losses that result from changes in the provision of ecosystem services. Bats have long been postulated to play important roles in arthropod suppression, seed dispersal, and pollination; however, only recently have these ecosystem services begun to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we review the available literature on the ecological and economic impact of ecosystem services provided by bats. We describe dietary preferences, foraging behaviors, adaptations, and phylogenetic histories of insectivorous, frugivorous, and nectarivorous bats worldwide in the context of their respective ecosystem services. For each trophic ensemble, we discuss the consequences of these ecological interactions on both natural and agricultural systems. Throughout this review, we highlight the research needed to fully determine the ecosystem services in question. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of economic valuation of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, few studies estimating the economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats have been conducted to date; however, we outline a framework that could be used in future studies to more fully address this question. Consumptive goods provided by bats, such as food and guano, are often exchanged in markets where the market price indicates an economic value. Nonmarket valuation methods can be used to estimate the economic value of nonconsumptive services, including inputs to agricultural production and recreational activities. Information on the ecological and economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats can be used to inform decisions regarding where and when to protect or restore bat populations and associated habitats, as well as to improve public perception of bats.read more
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DissertationDOI
Managing resources (time or money) optimally in Conservation Biology
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a decision theory framework to find the optimal time to stop an existing management action and replace it with a new action that is uncertain, based on the uncertainty associated with the wild or captive population growth rate or initial population size.
Journal ArticleDOI
Annual cycle of bats in a cave of Jebel Errwa, a sub-desert zone of central Tunisia
TL;DR: Despite frequent disturbance by visitors, “Bat Cave” of Jebel Errwa is one of the most important underground sites in central Tunisia and should be protected.
Journal ArticleDOI
Do gastrointestinal microbiomes play a role in bats’ unique viral hosting capacity?
Devin N. Jones,Ny Anjara Fifi Ravelomanantsoa,Carl J. Yeoman,Raina K. Plowright,Cara E. Brook +4 more
TL;DR: The role of the GIT microbiome in bat immune function remains largely unexplored, but recent work is shifting towards longitudinal and experimental investigations aimed at deciphering bat microbiome function as mentioned in this paper .
DissertationDOI
Evaluating and Predicting Ecosystem Services
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a Table of Table of contents of this article................................................................................................................................................iv Résumé.........................................................................................................................................................vi Table of Contents of this article
Journal ArticleDOI
Bat Fauna (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Southern Odisha Along the Eastern Ghats, India
TL;DR: In this article, the authors carried out an inventory of bat fauna in southern Odisha region during September 2014 to August 2016 and recorded a total 16 species of bats in seven families, of which the insectivorous bats were represented by maximum 12 species over frugivores and carnivores.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops
Alexandra-Maria Klein,Bernard E. Vaissière,James H. Cane,Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter,Saul A. Cunningham,Claire Kremen,Teja Tscharntke +6 more
TL;DR: It is found that fruit, vegetable or seed production from 87 of the leading global food crops is dependent upon animal pollination, while 28 crops do not rely upon animalPollination, however, global production volumes give a contrasting perspective.
Journal ArticleDOI
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TL;DR: Nature's Services brings together world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines to examine the character and value of ecosystem services, the damage that has been done to them, and the consequent implications for human society.