Diversity and Ecological Function of Bats in the Coffee Agroecosystems of Chiapas, Mexico

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This project is awarded under the Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships and Supporting Activities Program for 2006. Biodiversity and ecosystem conservation hinge on our ability to integrate the goals of production and preservation. Although protected areas play a critical role in conservation, because of their limited geographical scope, alone they cannot meet conservation goals. Instead, conservation depends in large part on the anthropogenic landscapes in which protected areas are embedded - the matrix habitat. Intensity of human management of these zones affects the quality of the matrix which separates fragmented habitat, and the ability of wildlife to survive in matrix habitats. Due to their diversity and ecological importance, Neotropical bats are of high conservation concern; however, little information exists on their assemblage structure and ecology outside of continuous or fragmented forests. As insectivores, bats presumably bats have important ecological functions via predation on arthropods and top-down control of herbivore damage. Although it is therefore thought that bats could have a positive effect on agricultural production, little quantitative data exist from tropical ecosystems to support this assumption. This research will therefore address two main questions: (1) What is the conservation potential of differing matrix habitats for bats? and (2) What is the impact of bat populations in agroecosystems on arthropod populations and crop productivity? Research will take place in coffee plantations in Chiapas, Mexico, along a gradient of decreasing matrix quality (from traditional polycultural shade-grown coffee to monocultural low-shade systems). Mist nets, harp traps, and acoustic monitoring will be used to characterize the bat assemblage and habitat use; particular effort will be made to describe the insectivorous bat ensemble. Exclosure experiments will be used to evaluate the effects of bat predation on arthropod populations and plant productivity. This project will result in: an improved understanding of the ability of the agroecological matrix to support bat populations; characterization of under-sampled bat species in matrix habitat; and a quantitative characterization of arthropod regulation by bats in a tropical agroecosystem.The ultimate goal of this research project is to produce information that will be applied to conservation problems in the tropics, for example via improved landscape-level conservation schemes for Neotropical bats and incorporation of biodiversity conservation in agricultural planning. This research builds upon my dissertation work on the ecology of primates living in shade coffee; at the same time, it will result in a reorientation of my research program towards community ecology and applied ecological studies. Working with Sponsoring Scientist Ivette Perfecto at the University of Michigan will provide a strong foundation in agroecology and community-level studies, preparing me for future research in conservation biology. I plan to continue researching conservation issues in multiple-use landscapes. Ultimately I hope to collaborate closely with social scientists, governments, and local stakeholders to promote improved sustainability in the anthropogenic landscapes which complement the critical role of protected areas in biodiversity conservation.