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
Reads0
Chats0
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
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Insect pest consumption by bats in macadamia orchards established by molecular diet analyses
Sina M. Weier,Yoshan Moodley,Mischa F. Fraser,Valerie M.G. Linden,Ingo Grass,Teja Tscharntke,Peter J. Taylor,Peter J. Taylor +7 more
TL;DR: Bats appear to be important for pest control and it is suggested that farmers should maintain or restore (semi-)natural vegetation inside and adjacent to their farms.
Journal ArticleDOI
Green remnants are hotspots for bat activity in a large Brazilian urban area
TL;DR: The results indicate that most insectivorous bats have a biased use of the urban landscape and the maintenance of urban green areas is essential to preserve them and the environmental services they provide.
Journal ArticleDOI
Reproduction of East-African bats may guide risk mitigation for coronavirus spillover
Diego Montecino-Latorre,Tracey Goldstein,Kirsten V. K. Gilardi,David J. Wolking,Elizabeth Van Wormer,Elizabeth Van Wormer,Rudovick Kazwala,B. Ssebide,Julius Nziza,Zikankuba Sijali,Michael R. Cranfield,Jonna A. K. Mazet +11 more
TL;DR: Findings could guide policy aimed at the prevention of spillover in limited-resource settings, by identifying high-risk periods for coronavirus shedding, and provides an alternative to culling and supports the conservation of bats and the delivery of their key ecosystem services.
Journal ArticleDOI
Flower-visiting bat species contribute unequally toward agricultural pollination ecosystem services in southern Thailand
TL;DR: In general, the nectar-specialist bat species were more important pollinators, yet their order of importance differed across the authors' focal plant species, and PI was dictated more by pollen transfer effectiveness than visitation rate.
Journal ArticleDOI
Tourism Values for Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Viewing
TL;DR: In this paper, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) is estimated to receive over 6.5 million visitors per year in the Southwestern United States.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference
TL;DR: Wilson and Reeder's Mammal Species of the World as discussed by the authors is the classic reference book on the taxonomic classification and distribution of more than 5400 species of mammals that exist today.
Book
Stated Choice Methods: Analysis and Applications
TL;DR: In this article, stated preference models and methods are presented for choosing a residential telecommunications bundle and a choice model for a particular set of products and services, as a way of life for individuals.
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
Nature's services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems.
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.