Investigating the effects of environmental change on tropical montane bats

森林砍伐是东南亚生物多样性的主要威胁，特别是在马来西亚，在过去十年中，超过14%的森林覆盖面积消失[1]。由于气候变化的额外影响，山地森林正在以比低地森林更快的速度被摧毁[2]。马来西亚336种哺乳动物中约有20%受到威胁，这些物种对森林砍伐特别敏感[3]。马来西亚的山地森林是许多脆弱物种的最后避难所。这些森林对于保持整个半岛以及高地和低地之间的生境连通性和基因流动至关重要。然而，很少有研究到目前为止，试图评估如何在半岛马来西亚的山地森林退化的volant哺乳动物（蝙蝠）社区。该项目将结合联合收割机成熟的生态研究方法，如生物声学技术和雾网，与分子分析，以评估蝙蝠群落的组成，分布，多样性，种群结构和基因流在多个山地森林地点与不同程度的干扰。该项目的成果将为高风险哺乳动物生物多样性热点的保护管理和缓解提供科学依据。

Deforestation is a major threat to biodiversity in South-East Asia, particularly in Malaysia where more than 14% of forest cover was lost in the last decade [1]. Montane forest is being decimated at a greater rate than lowland forest because of the additional effect of climate change [2].Approximately 20% of the 336 Malaysian mammalian species are threatened and these species are particularly sensitive to deforestation [3]. Malaysian montane forests are the last refuges for many vulnerable species. These forests are essential for maintaining habitat connectivity and gene flow across the peninsula and between the highlands and the lowlands. However, little research to date has attempted to assess how the volant mammalian (bats) community responds to the deterioration of montane forests in peninsula Malaysia. This project will combine well established ecological research methods, such as bioacoustics technique and mist netting, with molecular analysis to assess the bat community composition, distribution, diversity, population structure and gene flow across multiple montane forest sites with varying levels of disturbance. The outcome of this project will provide the scientific basis to inform conservation management and mitigation in high risk mammal biodiversity hotspots.