Insectivorous bats respond to vegetation complexity in urban green spaces.

ABSTRACT: Structural complexity is known to determine habitat quality for insectivorous bats, but how bats respond to habitat complexity in highly modified areas such as urban green spaces has been little explored. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether a recently developed measure of structural complexity is as effective as field-based surveys when applied to urban environments. We assessed whether image-derived structural complexity (MIG) was as/more effective than field-based descriptors in this environment and evaluated the response of insectivorous bats to structural complexity in urban green spaces. Bat activity and species richness were assessed with ultrasonic devices at 180 locations within green spaces in Vienna, Austria. Vegetation complexity was assessed using 17 field-based descriptors an

SUBMITTER: Suarez-Rubio M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5869212 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature