Habitat heterogeneity and food availability in beaver-engineered streams foster bat richness, activity and feeding.

ABSTRACT: As ecosystem engineers, Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) modify aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, which can benefit the biodiversity and community composition of plant and animal species. However, in contrast to aquatic taxa, beaver engineering impacts on terrestrial taxa, like bats, are so far largely overlooked. While it has been shown that bats prefer beaver-engineered ecosystems, the reason for this choice is poorly understood. We hypothesized that this preference may be associated with beaver-related changes in habitat characteristics and food availability. To address this knowledge gap, we recorded bat species richness, activity and feeding activity in eight beaver-engineered ecosystems (pool) with paired control sites without beavers (control) along the same stream in Switzerland.

SUBMITTER: Moser V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12673235 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature