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

农业土地利用变化使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了负面影响，并可能导致食虫蝙蝠失去对农业害虫的抑制。在加利福尼亚州的中海岸，肥沃的土壤和温带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，在农业区保护蝙蝠可以帮助控制害虫，减少对杀虫剂的需求。这项研究调查了哪些农场管理措施对蝙蝠友好并可以促进蝙蝠介导的害虫抑制，以及哪些做法可能阻止蝙蝠访问某些农场。研究人员将使用荟萃分析、观察和实验现场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与昆虫相互作用的多尺度影响。将使用超声波记录器来揭示蝙蝠多样性的模式，并将测试和描述一种新技术(去除被拴住的飞蛾)来记录蝙蝠在田间清除害虫的情况。将使用无线电遥测技术跟踪蝙蝠，以绘制蝙蝠栖息地的地图，并了解觅食生态。粪便DNA分析将用于确定蝙蝠的饮食特征，并确定蝙蝠与农业上重要的害虫之间的营养联系。了解自然系统和管理系统之间的溢出效应对保护生物学家、农业生态学家和土地管理者来说是相关的。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这些富有魅力的有机体的保护。研究成果将通过科学期刊、会议和向当地农业社区宣传蝙蝠保护的方式与科学家和公众分享。此外，这项研究将包括对女性和少数族裔学生的个人指导，以及为移民拉丁裔社区的学生开发高中课程。加州大学圣克鲁斯分校不同学生群体的本科生助理将被鼓励在这项研究和潜在的论文项目之间发展协同效应。

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.