The Importance of Distance to Resources in Bat Foraging Modelling
Author Information
Author(s): Ana Rainho, Jorge M. Palmeirim
Primary Institution: Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa
Hypothesis
How important are distances to resources in modelling foraging habitat suitability for bats?
Conclusion
Distance to resources significantly improves the accuracy of habitat suitability maps for foraging bats.
Supporting Evidence
- Distance variables explained 86% and 73% of the space use by M. schreibersii and R. mehelyi, respectively.
- Models including distance variables had a much greater explanatory power than those without.
- Habitat suitability maps differed significantly when distance variables were included.
Takeaway
Bats need to be close to food and water when they hunt, so knowing how far they have to fly helps us understand where they can find food.
Methodology
Bats were radio-tracked to evaluate the influence of distance to roost, water, and urban areas on foraging habitat suitability using logistic regression modelling.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in habitat suitability due to reliance on distance variables without considering other ecological factors.
Limitations
The study focused on only two bat species in a specific Mediterranean landscape, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
31 adult female bats from two species: Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus mehelyi.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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