Heard but not seen: Comparing bat assemblages and study methods in a mosaic landscape in the Western Ghats of India.

ABSTRACT: We used capture (mist-netting) and acoustic methods to compare the species richness, abundance, and composition of a bat assemblage in different habitats in the Western Ghats of India. In the tropics, catching bats has been more commonly used as a survey method than acoustic recordings. In our study, acoustic methods based on recording echolocation calls detected greater bat activity and more species than mist-netting. However, some species were detected more frequently or exclusively by capture. Ideally, the two methods should be used together to compensate for the biases in each. Using combined capture and acoustic data, we found that protected forests, forest fragments, and shade coffee plantations hosted similar and diverse species assemblages, although some species were recorded more

SUBMITTER: Wordley CFR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5916271 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature