Protected habitats support bats in Mediterranean dry grasslands

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Zoology

Background:

• Urbanization and agriculture drive biodiversity loss, particularly impacting European natural grasslands, which are conservation priorities.
• The relationship between grassland conservation quality and animal taxa, especially bats, remains understudied.
• Mediterranean dry grasslands, protected under EU legislation, are vital habitats within biodiversity hotspots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of Mediterranean dry grasslands in sustaining bat populations.
• To determine how grassland conservation quality and landscape features influence bat community structure and usage.
• To assess the functional shifts in bat assemblages along an ecological gradient from modified to conserved grasslands.

Main Methods:

• Conducted acoustic surveillance at 48 sites within a protected area in Mediterranean Italy.
• Focused on natural and semi-natural grasslands designated for conservation.
• Analyzed grassland conservation quality, terrain, and landscape features to understand their effects on bat guilds.

Main Results:

• All bat species detected regularly utilized Mediterranean dry grasslands.
• Grassland conservation quality was the primary factor influencing bat usage across all guilds.
• Terrain and landscape features exhibited guild-specific effects on bat distribution.
• Bat assemblages showed functional shifts, with opportunistic species dominating modified sites and species of conservation concern prevalent in well-conserved grasslands.

Conclusions:

• EU-listed Mediterranean dry grasslands significantly benefit bat populations, including highly mobile species.
• Maintaining the conservation quality of these grasslands is essential for bat conservation.
• Preserving these habitats is a key strategy for conserving overall biodiversity in Mediterranean ecosystems.