Spaceborne and UAV-LiDAR reveal hammer-headed bat preference for intermediate canopy height and diverse structure in a Central African rainforest.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Animals with key ecological roles, such as seed-dispersing fruit bats, rely to varying degrees on habitat structure to indicate the locations of resources and risks.

Methods

To understand how variation in vegetation structure influences fruit bat habitat selection, we related movement steps of hammer-headed bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus) to attributes of canopy height, vertical and horizontal vegetation structure, and habitat type in a mature rainforest of southern Cameroon. Vegetation structural metrics were measured with UAV-LiDAR at 10 m resolution for a 25 km² study area. Because bats frequently moved outside the study area, we also characterized vegetation height and horizontal complexity over the full extent of bat movement trajectories by upscali

SUBMITTER: Russo NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12016133 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature