Preprints

URI permanente para esta colecciónhttp://10.0.96.45:4000/handle/11056/20509

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Diet and trophic niche partitioning of three aerial hawking bat species in the Venezuelan Llanos
(bioRxiv (Estados Unidos), 2024) Azofeifa Romero, Yara; Nassar, Jafet M.; Mavárez, Jesús
Abstract. Since Neotropical insectivorous bats (IB) share feeding sites and prey, their coexistence must depend on processes promoting divergence at trophic niches. We conducted diet and activity time analyses of three coexisting IB species in Venezuelan paddies, Molossus molossus, Eptesicus furinalis, and Myotis nigricans, to understand their trophic niche partitioning. We used statistical models to understand: (1) the dietary and activity time overlap among IB species, and (2) the relationship of IB species’ morphology and hunting strategies with prey’s hardness and flight speed. We found high prey richness for M. molossus (32 families), M. nigricans (19 families), and E. furinalis (13 families). Bats exhibited differences in prey richness, proportions, types consumed, as well as in their activity periods. As expected from its larger size and fast flight, M. molossus prefers larger, fast-flying, and medium-to-high sclerotized preys such as Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with hunting activities starting and peaking significantly earlier than the other two bat species. On the other hand, also consistent with its size and flight type, M. nigricans exhibits a significant preference for small, slow-flying, and weekly sclerotized preys such as Diptera, although with relatively high dietary and temporal overlaps with E. furinalis. Thus, in concordance with niche theory predictions, the coexistence between these bats, particularly between M. molossus and the other two species, seems enhanced by reduced competition driven by divergence at trophic niche dimensions.
Life zone and habitat disturbance do not explain the coexistence in Sturnira bat species
(Springer (Alemania), 2022-06-23) Mosquera Izquierdo, Esteban; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A.; Sánchez, Mariano Sebastián; Villalobos Brenes, Federico; Castaño, John
One of the key questions in ecology is to understand the mechanisms that modulate the coexistence between syntopic species. Climate and habitat perturbation gradients have been proposed as moderators of species coexistence. The first is related to time availability and the diversity of food resources. The second is related to change in habitat structure that promotes changes in plant structure and diversity that impacts the diversity of other organisms. Although there is empirical evidence that supports these mechanisms to explain coexistence, they have not been evaluated quantitatively and on a wide geographic scale. Using phytophagous bat species of the genus Sturnira we evaluated both mechanisms. These bats are morphologically similar and are key organisms for the seed dispersal of Neotropical Forest plants. Using systematic review protocols, we obtained data of the occurrence and relative abundance of syntopic Sturnira species of different Neotropical forests. We used generalized linear models to evaluate the predictor power of Holdridge's life zones and habitat disturbance type to explain the evenness of syntopic Sturnira species. We found a highly Sturnira species evenness across life zones, going from 0.68–0.92, and found life zones with a maximum of eight Sturnira species coexisting in the same type of forest. The life zones and the type of disturbance do not explain the variation of evenness in Sturnira species. These results suggest that there is not a competitive exclusion among Sturnira species in tropical forests, and despite their ecological niche similarity, the environment allows the coexistence among these highly related species.
PhylloTraits 1.0: Unveiling the diversity of functional traits
(bioRxiv (Estados Unidos), 2025) Villalobos, Federico; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A.; Azofeifa-Romero, Yara; Pineda-Lizano, Willy; Sánchez, Mariano S.; Araya Berdon, Jorge; Carballo-Morales, Jorge D.; Castaño, John Harold; Hernández-Montero, Jesús R.; Herrera-Alsina, Leonel
Abstract. Functional traits play a key role in understanding species’ ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, the plenty of data collected on functional traits is sparse across literature so retrieving it, especially information for tropical species, becomes a challenge. We introduce PhylloTraits, a functional trait comprehensive database from bats of the family Phyllostomidae. The New World phyllostomids are one of the mammalian families with the greatest diversity of trophic and ecological habits. In addition, this family of bats is a prominent component of mammalian assemblages in the Neotropics. Phyllotraits 1.0 compiles a data collection on wing and body morphology from 230 species at individual level. The wing morphology traits can provide insight into flight performance and maneuverability. The body morphology traits are useful in addressing ecological aspects of Phyllostomidae bats. PhylloTraits 1.0 provides efficient access to functional data collated from various sources, including published literature in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and field studies. Furthermore, PhylloTraits 1.0 includes geographic coordinates of individual data to facilitate the examination of biogeographic patterns across different regions. By uncovering and synthesizing these functional traits and capturing individual variation, PhylloTraits aims to enhance our understanding of the ecological roles, evolutionary adaptations, and conservation implications of phyllostomid bats. This database would serve as a tool for comparative studies, ecological modeling, and conservation assessments. We anticipate that PhylloTraits will stimulate further research and promote collaborative efforts to unravel the intricate relationships between functional traits, their evolution and the ecological dynamics of Phyllostomidae bats.

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