ABSTRACT
Global climate change is expected to affect temperature and precipitation patterns worldwide, which in turn is likely to affect insect phenology, distribution and diversity. To improve our understanding of such processes, it is important to understand how insects may respond to changes in seasonality, and how these affect their activity, patterns of distribution and species richness. The tropical dry forest (TDF) is a highly seasonal ecosystem, for which two seasons are commonly described (rainy and dry) and there is a lack of information on the combined effect of both precipitation and temperature on the insect communities. In order to evaluate the seasonal patterns in the community of Cerambycidae in a TDF, historical climatic variables were obtained, and an annual sampling of the family was carried out, using three collection techniques. We found that the Cerambycidae family showed a more complex response to climate, than simply the rainy and dry season of the year. The relationship between diversity and composition of cerambycids with changes in temperature and precipitation showed four seasonal communities which were synchronized with phenological processes of the TDF. Climate change could reduce biodiversity, causing seasonal patterns to lose complexity, either because the climatic characteristics of a season disappear and/or because the duration of a season expands, these changes will modify the ecological processes of the TDF, since they would generate changes in the flora and fauna associated with the different seasons.
ABSTRACT
Colombia is known for its high bat richness, but regions like Orinoquía remain poorly known for this group. Here we present results from seven biodiversity assessments in Casanare, Colombia, a department circumscribed within Orinoquía. We captured 1,116 individual bats of 51 species and five families. Desmodus rotundus, Carollia spp., and Artibeus spp. were the most abundant taxa sampled. We also captured elusive species such as Lampronycteris brachyotis and Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum. In general, sites with some sort of protection, lower in elevation, and towards the southwest tended to have richer assemblages with different composition than sites without protection, higher in elevation, and towards the northeast of our study area. This southwest-northeast site distribution follows a rainfall gradient, which might explain differences in bat composition among sites. Finally, we discuss our species list in light of others that have been published and present the first analysis of assemblage structure for the bats of Casanare using true diversities.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biodiversity , Demography , ChiropteraABSTRACT
Colombia is known for its high bat richness, but regions like Orinoquía remain poorly known for this group. Here we present results from seven biodiversity assessments in Casanare, Colombia, a department circumscribed within Orinoquía. We captured 1,116 individual bats of 51 species and five families. Desmodus rotundus, Carollia spp., and Artibeus spp. were the most abundant taxa sampled. We also captured elusive species such as Lampronycteris brachyotis and Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum. In general, sites with some sort of protection, lower in elevation, and towards the southwest tended to have richer assemblages with different composition than sites without protection, higher in elevation, and towards the northeast of our study area. This southwest-northeast site distribution follows a rainfall gradient, which might explain differences in bat composition among sites. Finally, we discuss our species list in light of others that have been published and present the first analysis of assemblage structure for the bats of Casanare using true diversities.(AU)