Environmental Determinants of Behavioral Ecology: Differences in Roosting Ecology and Socioecology of a Neotropical Bat (Artibeus lituratus) Between Two Disparate Landscapes in the Atlantic Forest of Paraguay

I explored the why of bat roost selection and how it affected roost sharing, and the why of bat roost sharing and how it affected roost selection. This relationship between bats and landscape was examined by contrasting roosting ecology and socioecology between contiguous forest and fragmented matrix. I posited that if forest structure is different and roost trees are limited, fragmentation may be affecting roost use and selection. In turn, this could alter the roosting behaviors and socioecology of bats. Altered behavioral tendencies could then be incorporated as an indicator of ecological health. I radio-tracked a large, frugivorous, neotropical bat species (Artibeus lituratus) in the Atlantic Forest of eastern Paraguay. Habitat differed between contiguous forest and fragmented matrix. However, roost selection differed between landscapes only in tree diameter at breast height, tree height, and crown cover. Across both landscapes the selection of vine-laden trees in uncluttered stands was consistent. In contiguous habitats, A. lituratus exhibited an overall tendency to roost high in tall and densely-covered trees, which were less frequently roost-shared with conspecifics, and evenly distributed across the landscape. Comparatively, A. lituratus in matrix habitats exhibited an overall tendency to roost low in short and sparsely-covered trees, which were more frequently roost-shared with conspecifics, and unevenly distributed across the landscape. Furthermore, simulated changes in the habitat characteristics of roost networks affected roost popularity in matrix, but not contiguous landscapes. The most likely causes for those behavioral differences is the relatively suboptimal habitat of the matrix landscape. If these behaviors are consistent for other tree-roosting bat species, they are potential indicators of declining ecological health.

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