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
Immunophenotyping monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes in the Pteropodid bat Eonycteris spelaea.
Akshamal M. Gamage,Feng Zhu,Matae Ahn,Randy Foo,Ying Ying Hey,Dolyce H. W. Low,Ian H. Mendenhall,Charles-Antoine Dutertre,Charles-Antoine Dutertre,Lin-Fa Wang +9 more
TL;DR: It is shown that bat genomes have a conservation of immune marker genes which delineate phagocyte populations in humans, while lacking key mouse surface markers such as Ly6C and Ly6G.
Journal ArticleDOI
The influence of bat ecology on viral diversity and reservoir status.
TL;DR: The results indicate that bat species with longer life spans, broad geographic distributions in the eastern hemisphere, and large group sizes carry more viruses overall, and global regions where efforts to reduce disease spillover into humans by identifying viral carriers may be most productive are identified.
Journal ArticleDOI
Diversity of cave bats in the brazilian tropical dry forest of rio grande do norte state
Juan Carlos Vargas-Mena,Eugenia Cordero-Schmidt,Diego de Medeiros Bento,Bernal Rodríguez-Herrera,Rodrigo A. Medellín,Eduardo Martins Venticinque +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied the diversity of cave-dwelling bats in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil and found that the state contains more than 900 caves, mainly in the Caatinga biome, that offer important roosts for local bat populations.
Journal ArticleDOI
Systematic Review of the Roost-Site Characteristics of North American Forest Bats: Implications for Conservation
TL;DR: The authors conducted a systematic review of roost-site characteristics of thirteen species inhabiting eastern temperate forests to: (1) synthesize existing knowledge across species; (2) assess niche overlap among co-occurring species; and (3) evaluate the potential for currently protected species to serve as conservation umbrellas.
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.