Effects of forest fragmentation on the vertical stratification of neotropical bats

Vertical stratification is a key component of the biological complexity of rainforests. Understanding community- and species-level responses to disturbance across forest strata is paramount for evidence-based conservation and management. However, even for bats, known to extensively explore multiple layers of the complex three-dimensional forest space, studies are biased towards understory-based surveys and only few assessments of vertical stratification were done in fragmented landscapes. Using both ground and canopy mist-nets, we investigated how the vertical structure of bat assemblages is influenced by forest fragmentation in the experimentally fragmented landscape of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Central Amazon, Brazil. Over a three year-period, we captured 3077 individuals of 46 species in continuous forest (CF) and in 1, 10 and 100 ha forest fragments. In both CF and forest fragments, the upper forest strata sustained more diverse bat assemblages than the equivalent understory layer, and the midstory layers had significantly higher bat abundance in fragments than in CF. Artibeus lituratus and Rhinophylla pumilio exhibited significant shifts in their vertical stratification patterns between CF and fragments (e.g. R. pumilio was more associated with the upper strata in fragments than in CF). Altogether, our study suggests that fragmentation modulates the vertical stratification of bat assemblages

The road to functional recovery : temporal effects of matrix regeneration on Amazonian bats

Across the tropics, vast deforested areas are undergoing forest regeneration due to land abandonment. Although secondary forest is an expanding type of landscape matrix that has been shown to buffer some of the negative consequences of forest loss and fragmentation on taxonomic diversity, little is known in this regard about the functional dimension of biodiversity. We took advantage of an ecosystem-wide fragmentation experiment to investigate longer term changes in functional diversity of a mega-diverse Amazonian bat assemblage associated with regrowth development in the matrix. We found that matrix regeneration affected several facets of bat functional diversity in secondary forest over time, increasing functional α diversity, species- and community-level functional uniqueness, altering functional trait composition, and resulting in functional β-diversity changes via trait gains. However, approximately 30 years of matrix regeneration were insufficient for functional diversity to recover to the same levels as in continuous forest. Our results suggest that a combination of natural, human-assisted, and active restoration is likely to be the most successful strategy for restoring functional biodiversity of bats in human-modified tropical landscapes, a finding that most likely also applies to many other taxa

Design matters : an evaluation of the impact of small man-made forest clearings on tropical bats using a before-after-control-impact design

In recent years, large clearings (>1000 ha) accounted for gradually smaller amounts of total annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, whereas the proportion of small clearings (<50 ha) nowadays represents more than 80% of annual deforestation. Despite the ubiquity of small clearings in fragmented Amazonian landscapes, most fragmentation research has focused on the effects of large-scale deforestation, leading to a poor understanding of the impacts of smaller barriers on Amazonian vertebrates. We capitalized on the periodical re-isolation of experimental forest fragments at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in the Central Amazon as a before-after-control-impact experiment to investigate the short-term effects of small clearings on bat assemblages. Over the course of three years we sampled six control sites in continuous forest, the interiors and edges of eight forest fragments as well as eight sites in the surrounding matrix. Sampling took place both before and after the experimental manipulation (clearing of a 100 m wide strip of regrowth around each fragment), resulting in ~4000 bat captures. Species were classified as old-growth specialists and habitat generalists according to their habitat affinities and a joint species distribution modeling framework was used to investigate the effect of fragment re-isolation on species occupancy. Following fragment re-isolation, species richness declined in all habitats other than fragment edges and, although responses were idiosyncratic, this decline was more pronounced for forest specialist than for generalist species. Additionally, fragment re-isolation led to a reduction in the similarity between assemblages in modified habitats (fragment interiors, edges and matrix) and continuous forest. Sampling of controls in continuous forest both prior to and after reisolation revealed that much of the variation in bat species occupancy between sampling periods did not arise from fragment re-isolation but rather reflected natural spatiotemporal variability. This emphasizes the need to sample experimental controls both before and after experimental manipulation and suggests caution in the interpretation of results from studies in which the effects of habitat transformations are assessed based solely on data collected using space-for-time substitution approaches

Design matters : an evaluation of the impact of small man-made forest clearings on tropical bats using a before-after-control-impact design

In recent years, large clearings (>1000 ha) accounted for gradually smaller amounts of total annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, whereas the proportion of small clearings (<50 ha) nowadays represents more than 80% of annual deforestation. Despite the ubiquity of small clearings in fragmented Amazonian landscapes, most fragmentation research has focused on the effects of large-scale deforestation, leading to a poor understanding of the impacts of smaller barriers on Amazonian vertebrates. We capitalized on the periodical re-isolation of experimental forest fragments at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in the Central Amazon as a before-after-control-impact experiment to investigate the short-term effects of small clearings on bat assemblages. Over the course of three years we sampled six control sites in continuous forest, the interiors and edges of eight forest fragments as well as eight sites in the surrounding matrix. Sampling took place both before and after the experimental manipulation (clearing of a 100 m wide strip of regrowth around each fragment), resulting in ~4000 bat captures. Species were classified as old-growth specialists and habitat generalists according to their habitat affinities and a joint species distribution modeling framework was used to investigate the effect of fragment re-isolation on species occupancy. Following fragment re-isolation, species richness declined in all habitats other than fragment edges and, although responses were idiosyncratic, this decline was more pronounced for forest specialist than for generalist species. Additionally, fragment re-isolation led to a reduction in the similarity between assemblages in modified habitats (fragment interiors, edges and matrix) and continuous forest. Sampling of controls in continuous forest both prior to and after reisolation revealed that much of the variation in bat species occupancy between sampling periods did not arise from fragment re-isolation but rather reflected natural spatiotemporal variability. This emphasizes the need to sample experimental controls both before and after experimental manipulation and suggests caution in the interpretation of results from studies in which the effects of habitat transformations are assessed based solely on data collected using space-for-time substitution approaches

Echolocation and stratum preference : key trait correlates of vulnerability of insectivorous bats to tropical forest fragmentation

Habitat loss and fragmentation rank high amongst the most pressing threats to biodiversity. Understanding how variation in functional traits is associated with species vulnerability in fragmented landscapes is central to the design of effective conservation strategies. Here, we used a whole-ecosystem ecological experiment in the Central Amazon to investigate which functional traits of aerial-hawking insectivorous bats best predict their sensitivity to forest fragmentation. During 2014, bats were surveyed using passive bat recorders in six continuous forest sites, eight forest fragments, eight fragment edges, and eight forest clearings. The interaction between functional traits, environmental characteristics, and species distribution was investigated using a combination of RLQ and fourth-corner analyses. Our results showed that echolocation call structure, vertical stratification, and wing aspect ratio were the strongest predictors of sensitivity to forest fragmentation. Frequency of maximum energy, body mass, and relative wing loading did not show any correlation with the environmental variables. Bat species with constant-frequency calls were associated with high vegetation density, being more susceptible to forest fragmentation than species with frequency-modulated calls. Vertical stratum preference was also correlated with vegetation structure, indicating that understory species were more sensitive to forest loss than canopy species. Finally, species with high aspect ratio wings were linked to forest edges and clearings. Our findings suggest that species functional traits determine the vulnerability of aerial-hawking insectivorous bats toward fragmentation and, similarly, environmental conditions determine if a species is likely to become locally extinct due to fragmentation. Preserving structurally complex forests will be crucial to ensure the long-term persistence of the most sensitive and vulnerable species of this bat ensemble in fragmented landscapes across the Neotropics

Secondary forest regeneration benefits old-growth specialist bats in a fragmented tropical landscape

Tropical forest loss and fragmentation are due to increase in coming decades. Understanding how matrix dynamics, especially secondary forest regrowth, can lessen fragmentation impacts is key to understanding species persistence in modified landscapes. Here, we use a whole-ecosystem fragmentation experiment to investigate how bat assemblages are influenced by the regeneration of the secondary forest matrix. We surveyed bats in continuous forest, forest fragments and secondary forest matrix habitats, similar to 15 and similar to 30 years after forest clearance, to investigate temporal changes in the occupancy and abundance of old-growth specialist and habitat generalist species. The regeneration of the second growth matrix had overall positive effects on the occupancy and abundance of specialists across all sampled habitats. Conversely, effects on generalist species were negligible for forest fragments and negative for secondary forest. Our results show that the conservation potential of secondary forests for reverting faunal declines in fragmented tropical landscapes increases with secondary forest age and that old-growth specialists, which are often of most conservation concern, are the greatest beneficiaries of secondary forest maturation. Our findings emphasize that the transposition of patterns of biodiversity persistence in island ecosystems to fragmented terrestrial settings can be hampered by the dynamic nature of human-dominated landscapes.Peer reviewe

Bat species vulnerability to forest fragmentation in the Central Amazon

Tese de mestrado. Biologia (Biologia da Conservação). Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 20131. To understand the ecological trait interspecific variation on the capacity of bat species to persist in fragments and recolonize new patches in the fragmented landscape is fundamental for the creation of conservation effective plans. In this context, the study assesses 26 bat species vulnerability in a forest fragmentation local scale with low fragment-matrix contrast. 2. The study was carried out in Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), Central Amazon, Brazil. Bats were captured over a 2-year period in 8 forest fragments and 3 control plots of continuous forest, considering the interior, the edge and the matrix at the each local. The ecological traits values were obtained from our capture data and/or literature: (1) abundance in continuous forest, (2) body mass, (3) edge-sensibility, (4) matrix tolerance, (5) trophic level, (6) dietary specialization, (7) vertical stratification, (8) mobility, (9) wing morphology, (10) ecological scaled landscape indices (ESLIs). After phylogenetic correction, these variables were used separately and in combination to assess their association with two indices of fragmentation sensitivity: species prevalence (proportion of fragments occupied) and change in abundance. The correlation between the different traits and the environmental gradients were assessed using the RLQ and fourth-corner analysis. 3. Model selection based on Akaike’s information criterion identified abundance in continuous forest as the best correlate of vulnerability to fragmentation. The main positive relationships found for the RLQ analysis was between abundance in continuous forest and forest fragmentation, and animalivorous bats and continuous forests. Abundance in continuous forest and trophic level also showed positive correlations with the fragmentation according to fourth-corner analysis, as well as edge-sense and matrix tolerance. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results support that environmental filters and ecological traits consistently shape the bat assemblages in BDFFP fragmented landscape. The fragmented landscape will selectively benefit the most abundant, more matrix tolerant, less edge-sensitive and frugivorous species. The structural and functional connectivity among remnant patches is a main factor allowing persistence and dispersal of the species, mainly of those with low ability to use the matrix and the small fragments (≤ 10 ha). As a practical suggestion to minimize local extinctions, investment in the creation, restoration and maintenance of natural corridors is recommended, as well as the management of the matrix by improving its quality.1. Entender a variação interespecífica das características ecológicas sobre a capacidade das espécies de morcegos de persistir em fragmentos e recolonizar novas áreas na paisagem fragmentada é fundamental para a criação de planos efetivos de conservação. Neste contexto, o estudo avalia a vulnerabilidade de 26 espécies de morcegos em uma escala local de fragmentação florestal com baixo contraste entre fragmentos-matriz. 2. O estudo foi conduzido nas áreas do Projeto Dinâmica Biológica de Fragmentos Florestais (PDBFF), Amazônia Central, Brasil. Os morcegos foram capturados ao longo de 2 anos em 8 fragmentos florestais e 3 áreas controle de floresta contínua, considerando o interior, a borda e a matriz de cada local. Os valores das variáveis ecológicas foram obtidos de nossos dados de captura e/ou de literatura: (1) abundância em floresta contínua, (2) tamanho corporal, (3) sensibilidade ao efeito de borda, (4) tolerância à matriz, (5) nível trófico, (6) especialização da dieta, (7) estratificação vertical, (8) mobilidade, (9) morfologia de asa, (10) índices de conectividade funcional (ESLIs). Após uma correção filogenética, as variáveis foram usadas separadamente e em combinação para avaliar sua associação com dois índices de sensibilidade à fragmentação: prevalência das espécies (proporção de fragmentos ocupados) e variação na abundância. As correlações entre diferentes características e gradientes ambientais foram avaliadas utilizando as análises RLQ e fourth-corner. 3. O critério de informação de Akaike identificou abundância em floresta contínua como o melhor modelo para explicar a vulnerabilidade à fragmentação. As principais relações positivas encontradas pela análise RLQ foram entre abundância em floresta contínua e fragmentação florestal, e morcegos animalívoros e florestas contínuas. Abundância em floresta contínua e nível trófico também apresentaram correlações positivas com a fragmentação pela análise fourth-corner, bem como sensibilidade ao efeito de borda e tolerância à matriz. 4. Síntese e predições. Nossos resultados confirmam que os filtros ambientais e as variáveis ecológicas moldam as comunidades de morcegos na paisagem fragmentada do PDBFF. A paisagem fragmentada vem seletivamente beneficiar as espécies mais abundantes, mais tolerantes à matriz, menos sensíveis aos efeitos de borda e frugívoras. A conectividade estrutural e funcional entre fragmentos remanescentes é o principal fator para a persistência e dispersão das espécies, principalmente daquelas com baixa capacidade de usar a matriz e os pequenos fragmentos (≤ 10 ha). Como sugestão prática para minimizar as extinções locais, é recomendando o investimento na criação, restauração e manutenção de corredores naturais, bem como uma gestão da matriz que melhore sua qualidade

Traducción/traición: cuerpos y nombres en las prácticas artísticas de Effy Beth

En este trabajo se indaga en profundidad la video-performance Pequeña Elizabeth Mati (Little Mermaid doblado al castellano) (2012) de la artista trans feminista Elizabeth Chorubczyk, y la relación que establece esta con su obra. A partir de allí se exploran las operatorias de traducción que la artista activa en torno a su lengua madre y a su país de origen (Israel) y a los modos que su familia tiene de nombrarla cuando aún era llamada como un varón (Mati). Interesa indagar qué estrategias para hacerse un cuerpo se ponen en juego a partir de la distorsión, apropiación e intervención de las discursividades hegemónicas, cuando la traducción traiciona dichos mandatos y discursos.&nbsp;This work investigates the video-performance Pequeña Elizabeth Mati (Little Mermaid doblado al castellano) (2012) of the trans feminist artist Elizabeth Chorubczyk, and its relation to the rest of her work. From there we explore a series of translation operations that the artist activates around the mother language and her country of origin (Israel), and over the ways that her family names her when she was considered still like a boy (Mati). Its result interesting investigates what strategies she invent to make her own body, from the distortion, appropriation and intervention over de hegemonic discursivities

Second-growth and small forest clearings have little effect on the temporal activity patterns of Amazonian phyllostomid bats

Secondary forests and human-made forest gaps are conspicuous features of tropical landscapes. Yet, behavioural responses to these aspects of anthropogenically-modified forests remain poorly investigated. Here, we analyse the effects of small human-made clearings and secondary forests on tropical bats by examining the guild- and species-level activity patterns of phyllostomids sampled in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Specifically, we contrast the temporal activity patterns and degree of temporal overlap of six frugivorous and four gleaning animalivorous species in old-growth forest and second-growth forest and of four frugivores in old-growth forest and forest clearings. The activity patterns of frugivores and gleaning animalivores did not change between old-growth forest and second-growth, nor did the activity patterns of frugivores between old-growth forest and clearings. However, at the species level we detected significant differences for Artibeus obscurus (old-growth forest vs. second-growth) and Artibeus concolor (old-growth forest vs.clearings). The degree of temporal overlap was greater than random in all sampled habitats. However, whereas for frugivorous species the degree of temporal overlap was similar between old-growth forest and second-growth, for gleaning animalivores it was lower in second-growth than in old-growth forest. On the other hand, forest clearings were characterized by increased temporal overlap between frugivores. Changes in activity patterns and temporal overlap may result from differential foraging opportunities and dissimilar predation risks. Yet, our analyses suggest that activity patterns of bats in second-growth and small forest clearings, two of the most prominent habitats in humanized tropical landscapes, varies little from the activity patterns in old-growth forest

Desarrollo de nanopartículas para el tratamiento de enfermedades genéticas recibe una importante inversión

Las terapias génicas buscan corregir el funcionamiento incorrecto de ciertos genes incorporando ADN modificado a las células con el fin de corregir el comportamiento defectuoso. Investigadoras de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas proponen utilizar nanopartículas de óxido como vehículos de ese ADN en el tratamiento de patologías como la fibrosis quística, la piel de cristal y la hemofilia. Días pasados, GridX, una iniciativa que impulsa y financia la creación de empresas biotecnológicas, incorporó el proyecto a su portfolio. De cumplir en tiempo con los plazos previstos y las regulaciones de Anmat, prevén iniciar la comercialización de sus productos en cinco años.publishedVersionFil: Farneda, Marysol. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología. Parque Científico Tecnológico; Argentina