First record of bat-pollination in the species-rich genus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae)

Background and Aims Bromeliaceae is a species-rich neotropical plant family that uses a variety of pollinators, principally vertebrates. Tillandsia is the most diverse genus, and includes more than one-third of all bromeliad species. Within this genus, the majority of species rely on diurnal pollination by hummingbirds; however, the flowers of some Tillandsia species show some characteristics typical for pollination by nocturnal animals, particularly bats and moths. In this study an examination is made of the floral and reproductive biology of the epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia macropetala in a fragment of humid montane forest in central Veracruz, Mexico. Methods The reproductive system of the species, duration of anthesis, production of nectar and floral scent, as well as diurnal and nocturnal floral visitors and their effectiveness in pollination were determined. Key Results Tillandsia macropetala is a self-compatible species that achieves a higher fruit production through outcrossing. Nectar production is restricted to the night, and only nocturnal visits result in the development of fruits. The most frequent visitor (75 % of visits) and the only pollinator of this bromeliad (in 96 % of visits) was the nectarivorous bat Anoura geoffroyi (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae). Conclusions This is the first report of chiropterophily within the genus Tillandsia. The results on the pollination biology of this bromeliad suggest an ongoing evolutionary switch from pollination by birds or moths to bat

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Acoustic identification of Mexican bats based on taxonomic and ecological constraints on call design

1. Monitoring global biodiversity is critical for understanding responses to anthropogenic change, but biodiversity monitoring is often biased away from tropical, megadiverse areas that are experiencing more rapid environmental change. Acoustic surveys are increasingly used to monitor biodiversity change, especially for bats as they are important indicator species and most use sound to detect, localise and classify objects. However, using bat acoustic surveys for monitoring poses several challenges, particularly in mega-diverse regions. Many species lack reference recordings, some species have high call similarity or differ in call detectability, and quantitative classification tools, such as machine learning algorithms, have rarely been applied to data from these areas. 2. Here, we collate a reference call library for bat species that occur in a megadiverse country, Mexico. We use 4,685 search-phase calls from 1,378 individual sequences of 59 bat species to create automatic species identification tools generated by machine learning algorithms (Random Forest). We evaluate the improvement in species-level classification rates gained by using hierarchical classifications, reflecting either taxonomic or ecological constraints (guilds) on call design, and examine how classification rate accuracy changes at different hierarchical levels (family, genus, and guild). 3. Species-level classification of calls had a mean accuracy of 66% and the use of hierarchies improved mean species-level classification accuracy by up to 6% (species within families 72%, species within genera 71.2% and species within guilds 69.1%). Classification accuracy to family, genus and guild-level was 91.7%, 77.8% and 82.5%, respectively. 4. The bioacoustic identification tools we have developed are accurate for rapid biodiversity assessments in a megadiverse region and can also be used effectively to classify species at broader taxonomic or ecological levels. This flexibility increases their usefulness when there are incomplete species reference recordings and also offers the opportunity to characterise and track changes in bat community structure. Our results show that bat bioacoustic surveys in megadiverse countries have more potential than previously thought to monitor biodiversity changes and can be used to direct further developments of bioacoustic monitoring programs in Mexico

Protecting Endangered Languages: The Case of Irish

This article reviews the Irish experience of plurilingual aspiration from three perspectives. It first relates the case for preserving and learning the Irish language to Ireland’s cultural development as an independent nation, as distinct from its struggles for political freedom and economic self-determination. It next considers the broader context of the value of learning or knowing a second language. It then considers Irish secondary schoolgoers’ critical attitudes to the learning of Irish and to government policy on the learning of the Irish language. It concludes that it is wrong to consider global vehicular languages such as English and cultural languages such as Irish as competing for single-language dominance. Instead, there should be an early initiation into multiple language systems, deepening people’s linguistic diversity and plurilingual competence. This should be combined with a content-based integrated approach concentrating on cultural value, history, and literature. Languages should be seen as vectors of continuity and of connection with a specific identity, a specific past and a specific place. Ultimately, as English becomes increasingly and even exclusively vehicular, 'non-global’ languages like Irish will be valued as embodying community and relational values, and as channels serving people's inter-communication, connectedness and development – at deeper levels than the physical, political and economic

Primer registro de Pygoderma bilabiatum (Wagner, 1843) (Phyllostomidae) para el Departamento Central–Paraguay y en un área urbana, con comentarios sobre su ecología

We present the first record of Pygoderma bilabiatum for the Central Department and its first occurrence in an urban environment in Paraguay, with comments on its ecology. An adult male individual of P. bilabiatum was captured on the campus of the National University of Asunción – San Lorenzo in a mist net at the edge of a secondary forest. This species is a seasonal migrant, present in the Humid Chaco ecoregion in the rainy season (October-February). This record provides new information on its distribution in the country and indicates the need for further studies related to urban areas that demonstrate their importance in supporting the high richness of bat species.Presentamos el primer registro de Pygoderma bilabiatum para el Departamento Central y en un ambiente urbano en Paraguay, con comentarios sobre su ecología. Un individuo macho adulto de P. bilabiatum fue capturado en la localidad de San Lorenzo con una red de niebla al borde de un bosque secundario. Esta especie es migratoria estacional, presente en la ecorregión del Chaco Húmedo en temporada lluviosa (octubre-febrero). Este registro brinda nueva información sobre la distribución de la especie en el país e indica la necesidad de realizar más estudios en áreas urbanas, lo que demuestra su importancia como albergue de una alta riqueza de especies de murciélagos

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

Recuperación de la diversidad florística en plantaciones de cítricos abandonadas en el sur de Veracruz, México: implicaciones para la conservación

La región de Uxpanapa, en el sur de Veracruz, es uno de los principales centros de diversidad vegetal de México y en donde las actividades humanas han ocasionado la desaparición de cerca del 80% de la vegetación original. Actualmente, las plantaciones de cítricos son un componente evidente del paisaje de la zona. Sin embargo, debido a su baja rentabilidad, muchas plantaciones han sido abandonadas, convirtiéndose en áreas de vegetación secundaria. Para analizar la dinámica de regeneración en estos sistemas, se caracterizó la composición, diversidad y recambio de especies vegetales en una cronosecuencia de naranjales abandonados. Se consideraron además las estrategias de establecimiento, formas de vida y estrategias de dispersión de las especies vegetales. Se muestrearon 0.1 ha en cada una de 6 plantaciones con diferentes tiempos de abandono (3, 8, 17, 26, 36 y 48 meses). En cada transecto se distinguieron 2 grupos de plantas: adultas y brinzales. En total se registraron 191 especies (57 familias y 122 géneros). La riqueza florística se incrementó con el tiempo de abandono. Los árboles con dispersión zoocora dominaron en todas las parcelas. Las características de los naranjales abandonados son atractivas para dispersores vertebrados y su cercanía a fuentes de propágulos favorece un proceso de regeneración acelerado

Moscas ectoparásitas de murciélagos (Diptera: Streblidae y Nycteribiidae) del Valle de Uxpanapa, Veracruz, México.

ESe estudió la diversidad de moscas ectoparásitas de murciélagos (Streblidae y Nycteribiidae) de la región del valle de Uxpanapa en el sur de Veracruz, México. Capturamos murciélagos del 2010 al 2012 en una selva alta perennifolia, un acahual, plantaciones de hule y en cuevas. Se revisaron 378 murciélagos pertenecientes a 26 especies de las familias Natalidae, Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae y Vespertilionidae, de los cuales 251 se encontraron parasitados. Se recolectaron 616 ejemplares pertenecientes a 32 especies moscas. Se obtuvieron 4 nuevos registros de especies para México: Mastoptera minuta Costa Lima, Trichobius flagellatus Wenzel, Strebla chrotopteri Wenzel (Streblidae) y Basilia ortizi Machado-Allison (Nycteribiidae). También se amplía la distribución en el país para Megistopoda aranea Coquillett, Paratrichobius lowei Wenzel, Speiseria ambigua Kessel, T. costalimai Guimarães, T. dugesioides Wenzel, T. galei Wenzel, T. hirsutulus Bequaert, T. uniformis Curran, S. alvarezi Wenzel, S. guajiro Garcia y Casal, S. hertigi Wenzel, S. kohlsi Wenzel y S. wiedemanni Kolenati. Estos registros actualizan la diversidad de Streblidae a 16 géneros y 59 especies en México, de las cuales 41 (69.5%) se encuentran en el estado de Veracruz y se incrementa a 8 el número de especies de Nycteribiidae registrados para el país, 3 de las cuales fueron reportadas para Veracruz

Nuevos registros estatales de Bromeliaceae y Piperaceae en México

La flora de México está en constante actualización y las familias Bromeliaceae y Piperaceae están representadas en el país con numerosas especies, principalmente en los estados del sur. Sin embargo, las exploraciones botánicas han incrementado el número de especies reportadas para cada estado y algunas pueden encontrarse del estudio de material de herbario, de ejemplares mal identificados, o provenir de relictos de bosques cercanos a áreas urbanas. El objetivo de este trabajo es reportar nuevos registros de bromeliáceas y piperáceas en distintos estados de México, y presentar un mapa actualizado de su distribución. Entre 2018 y 2023, como parte de diferentes exploraciones botánicas, incluyendo áreas verdes periurbanas, se colectaron ejemplares y se identificaron con claves de identificación taxonómica y con expertos. Determinamos que eran nuevos aportes para las floras estatales y ampliaciones norteñas para la distribución conocida de esas especies, una de las cuales estaba presente en un remanente de bosque urbano. Los 4 registros nuevos corresponden a Pseudalcantarea macropetala, Tillandsia heterophylla, Werauhia nutans y Piper pseudoasperifolium en bosque mesófilo de montaña y vegetación secundaria, y demuestran la importancia de continuar las exploraciones botánicas en diferentes tipos de vegetación, considerando también relictos de bosque en áreas urbanas

Ensemble Composition and Activity Levels of Insectivorous Bats in Response to Management Intensification in Coffee Agroforestry Systems

Shade coffee plantations have received attention for their role in biodiversity conservation. Bats are among the most diverse mammalian taxa in these systems; however, previous studies of bats in coffee plantations have focused on the largely herbivorous leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae). In contrast, we have virtually no information on how ensembles of aerial insectivorous bats – nearly half the Neotropical bat species – change in response to habitat modification. To evaluate the effects of agroecosystem management on insectivorous bats, we studied their diversity and activity in southern Chiapas, Mexico, a landscape dominated by coffee agroforestry. We used acoustic monitoring and live captures to characterize the insectivorous bat ensemble in forest fragments and coffee plantations differing in the structural and taxonomic complexity of shade trees. We captured bats of 12 non-phyllostomid species; acoustic monitoring revealed the presence of at least 12 more species of aerial insectivores. Richness of forest bats was the same across all land-use types; in contrast, species richness of open-space bats increased in low shade, intensively managed coffee plantations. Conversely, only forest bats demonstrated significant differences in ensemble structure (as measured by similarity indices) across land-use types. Both overall activity and feeding activity of forest bats declined significantly with increasing management intensity, while the overall activity, but not feeding activity, of open-space bats increased. We conclude that diverse shade coffee plantations in our study area serve as valuable foraging and commuting habitat for aerial insectivorous bats, and several species also commute through or forage in low shade coffee monocultures