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Effect of emergent aquatic insects on bat foraging in a riparian forest
Article first published online: 15 SEP 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01146.x
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How to Cite
FUKUI, D., MURAKAMI, M., NAKANO, S. and AOI, T. (2006), Effect of emergent aquatic insects on bat foraging in a riparian forest. Journal of Animal Ecology, 75: 1252–1258. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01146.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 26 SEP 2006
- Article first published online: 15 SEP 2006
- Received 3 February 2006; accepted 19 June 2006
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- allochthonous resources;
- Chiroptera;
- ecotone;
- subsidy;
- TOEF
Summary
- 1Riparian zones serve several ecological functions for bats. They provide a source of prey and likely provide favourable structural habitats and shelter from predators. Many studies have shown that bats use the space above streams, ponds or riparian vegetation as feeding habitat. These studies, however, have never distinguished between the effects of habitat structure and prey availability on the foraging activities of bats. Such effects can only be distinguished by an experimental approach. We predicted that bat activity along a stream is influenced by the number of emerged aquatic insects.
- 2We evaluated the response of terrestrial consumers, insectivorous bats, to changes in the abundance of emergent aquatic insects by conducting a manipulative field experiment. In a deciduous riparian forest in Japan, aquatic insect flux from the stream to the riparian zone was controlled with an insect-proof cover over a 1·2 km stream reach.
- 3We estimated the abundance of emergent aquatic and flying terrestrial arthropods near the treatment and control reaches using Malaise traps. The foraging activity of bats was evaluated in both treatment and control reaches using ultrasonic detectors.
- 4The insect-proof cover effectively reduced the flux of emergent aquatic insects to the riparian zone adjacent to the treatment reach. Adjacent to the control reach, adult aquatic insect biomass was highest in spring, and then decreased gradually. Terrestrial insect biomass increased gradually during the summer at both treatment and control reaches.
- 5Foraging activity of bats was correlated with insect abundance. In spring, foraging activity of bats at the control reach was significantly greater than at the treatment reach, and increased at both sites with increasing terrestrial insect abundance.
- 6Our result suggests that the flux of aquatic insects emerging from streams is one of the most important factors affecting the distribution of riparian-foraging bats. As is the case with other riparian consumers, resource subsidies from streams can directly enhance the performance or population density of riparian-dependent bats. To conserve and manage bat populations, it is important to protect not only forest ecosystems, but also adjacent aquatic systems such as streams.