DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Bats in the agricultural matrix: impacts on diversity, distribution and ecosystem services

论文研究：农业矩阵中的蝙蝠：对多样性、分布和生态系统服务的影响

• 批准号: 1501823
• 负责人: Stacy Philpott
• 金额: $ 1.61万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-06-01 至 2017-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1501823&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Bats; agricultural; matrix

Agricultural land use change transforms landscapes from complex, natural habitat to simple, agricultural systems. These landscape changes negatively affect bats, and may result in the loss of agricultural pest suppression by insectivorous bats. In California's Central Coast, the fertile soil and temperate climate are ideal for growing high-value crops, such as fruits and vegetables, but the region is also important habitat for wildlife, including 16 species of bats. Bats are voracious insect predators and protecting bats in agricultural areas can help to control pests and reduce the need for pesticides. This research investigates which farm management practices are bat-friendly and could promote bat-mediated pest suppression, and which practices may deter bats from visiting certain farms.The researchers will use meta-analysis, observational and experimental field methods, and new lab technologies to examine the multi-scalar effects of agricultural intensification on insectivorous bats and bat-insect interactions. Ultrasonic recorders will be used to reveal patterns of bat diversity, and a novel technique (removal of tethered moths) will be tested and described to document bat removal of pests in the field. Bats will be tracked using radio telemetry to map home ranges and understand foraging ecology. Fecal DNA analysis will be used to characterize bat diets and identify trophic linkages between bats and agriculturally important insect pests. Understanding spillover effects between natural and managed systems is relevant to conservation biologists, agroecologists, and land managers. This research will allow for relative valuation of entire bat communities, and the knowledge generated will promote conservation of these charismatic organisms. Research findings will be shared with scientists and the public through scientific journals, conferences, and outreach to local farming communities about bat conservation. In addition, the research will incorporate individual mentoring of women and minority students, and high-school curriculum development for students in a migrant, Latino community. Undergraduate assistants from UC Santa Cruz's diverse student body will be encouraged to develop synergies between this research and potential thesis projects.

农业土地利用变化将景观从复杂的自然栖息地转变为简单的农业系统。这些景观变化对蝙蝠产生负面影响，并可能导致食虫蝙蝠对农业害虫的抑制作用丧失。在加州的中央海岸，肥沃的土壤和温和的气候非常适合种植水果和蔬菜等高价值作物，但该地区也是野生动物的重要栖息地，包括16种蝙蝠。蝙蝠是贪婪的昆虫捕食者，在农业地区保护蝙蝠有助于控制害虫，减少对杀虫剂的需求。该研究调查了哪些农场管理措施对蝙蝠友好，可以促进蝙蝠介导的害虫抑制，以及哪些措施可能阻止蝙蝠访问某些农场。研究人员将使用元分析，观察和实验方法以及新的实验室技术来研究农业集约化对食虫蝙蝠和蝙蝠-昆虫相互作用的多标量效应。超声波记录仪将被用来揭示蝙蝠多样性的模式，一种新的技术（去除拴系的飞蛾）将被测试和描述，以记录蝙蝠在现场清除害虫。蝙蝠将被跟踪使用无线电遥测地图的家庭范围和了解觅食生态。粪便DNA分析将用于描述蝙蝠饮食的特点，并确定蝙蝠和农业重要害虫之间的营养联系。了解自然和管理系统之间的溢出效应与保护生物学家，农业生态学家和土地管理者有关。这项研究将允许对整个蝙蝠群落进行相对评估，所产生的知识将促进对这些魅力生物的保护。研究结果将通过科学期刊、会议和与当地农业社区有关蝙蝠保护的外联活动与科学家和公众分享。此外，这项研究将包括对妇女和少数民族学生的个别辅导，以及为移民拉丁裔社区的学生制定高中课程。将鼓励来自加州大学圣克鲁斯多元化学生团体的本科生助理在这项研究和潜在的论文项目之间发挥协同作用。