Can pinewoods provide habitat for a deciduous forest specialist? a two-scale approach to the habitat selection of Bechstein's bat
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Can pinewoods provide habitat for a deciduous forest specialist? a two-scale approach to the habitat selection of Bechstein's bat. / Arrizabalaga-Escudero, Aitor; Napal, Maria; Aihartza, Joxerra; Garin, Inazio; Alberdi, Antton; Salsamendi, Egoitz.
In: Mammalian Biology, Vol. 79, No. 2, 2014, p. 117-122.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Can pinewoods provide habitat for a deciduous forest specialist?
T2 - a two-scale approach to the habitat selection of Bechstein's bat
AU - Arrizabalaga-Escudero, Aitor
AU - Napal, Maria
AU - Aihartza, Joxerra
AU - Garin, Inazio
AU - Alberdi, Antton
AU - Salsamendi, Egoitz
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Populations of Myotis bechsteinii in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (southwestern Spain) survive in a large, old-growth coniferous woodland, which is in contrast with known ecological preferences of the species. We tracked ten lactating females and studied patterns of habitat selection by Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii) at two spatial scales: macrohabitat and microhabitat, regarding forest essence (coniferous vs. deciduous). The tracked individuals always foraged within forested areas and did not use areas devoid of trees. At the macrohabitat level, no positive selection of deciduous stands was apparent, suggesting selection studies of coarse resolution may not be able to capture subtle selection patterns. At the microhabitat level Myotis bechsteinii selected deciduous patches within the coniferous matrix, therefore, our results corroborate the perception of this species as dependent of services provided by deciduous woodlands. Larger foraging home ranges and commuting distances as compared with other Mediterranean localities suggest that our studied population inhabits a marginal or suboptimal environment in terms of habitat quality. We argue that this population of Bechstein's bat has survived as a relict one probably as a consequence of fragmentation and transformation of deciduous forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean range.
AB - Populations of Myotis bechsteinii in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (southwestern Spain) survive in a large, old-growth coniferous woodland, which is in contrast with known ecological preferences of the species. We tracked ten lactating females and studied patterns of habitat selection by Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii) at two spatial scales: macrohabitat and microhabitat, regarding forest essence (coniferous vs. deciduous). The tracked individuals always foraged within forested areas and did not use areas devoid of trees. At the macrohabitat level, no positive selection of deciduous stands was apparent, suggesting selection studies of coarse resolution may not be able to capture subtle selection patterns. At the microhabitat level Myotis bechsteinii selected deciduous patches within the coniferous matrix, therefore, our results corroborate the perception of this species as dependent of services provided by deciduous woodlands. Larger foraging home ranges and commuting distances as compared with other Mediterranean localities suggest that our studied population inhabits a marginal or suboptimal environment in terms of habitat quality. We argue that this population of Bechstein's bat has survived as a relict one probably as a consequence of fragmentation and transformation of deciduous forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean range.
KW - Deciduous forest
KW - Macrohabitat
KW - Mediterranean
KW - Microhabitat
KW - Myotis bechsteinii
U2 - 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.09.005
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84896395228
VL - 79
SP - 117
EP - 122
JO - Mammalian Biology
JF - Mammalian Biology
SN - 1616-5047
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 225602370