Community composition and food resource use of chiropteran assemblages in mid-elevation forests of central Taiwan

• Main Authors: Yu-ChenLu, 盧昱辰
• Other Authors: Ya-Fu Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/90525108990238025238

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 生物多樣性研究所 === 101 === Chiroptera has the highest species number among mammalian orders in Taiwan. In Taiwan, all recorded bat species are insectivores, and their dietary compositions and food resource use were assessed in this study. This study conducted field works during March to October 2009 at Huisun Experiment Forest and Lienhuachih Experiment Forest in Nantou. Mist-nets and harp traps were used to survey the bat assemblages in forests. Fecal pellets from captured bats were analyzed to determine the diets of bats. While netting, two black light traps were set up to investigate the nocturnal insect compositions as the references of available food resources for bats. I conducted field works for three to five nights each month, and recorded 12 bat species. Nine bat species occurred in both areas, which included Formosan Leaf-Nosed Bats (Hipposideros terasensis Kishida, 1924), Formosan Greater Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus formosae Sanborn, 1939), Formosan Lesser Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus monoceros Sanborn, 1939), Formosan Yellow-Throated Bats (Arielulus torquatus Csorba ＆ Lee, 1999), Titania's Woolly Bats (Kerivoula titania Bates et al., 2007), Formosan Tube-Nosed Bats (Murina puta Kishida, 1924), Faint-Golden Little Tube-Nosed Bat (Murina recondita Kuo et al., 2009), Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus sp.), and Japanese Long-Winged Bats (Miniopterus schreibersii Hodgson, 1835). Horikawa’s Brown Bats (Eptesicus serotinus horikawai Kishida, 1924) and Long-Toed Myotis were caught only in Huisun, whereas Long-Tailed Myotis occurred only in Lienhuachih. Both H. terasensis and Myotis spp. were the most important bat species in this area, and include M. recondita and K. titania, five species were recorded in all spring, summer, and autumn. The insect compositions were different between areas. Hemipterans and orthopterans were more abundant in Huisun. Bats mainly fed on coleopterans, hemipterans, hymenopterans, and lepidopterans. The rank preference indices indicated that each prey items were not equally preferred in the diet, and most bat species had a preference on hymenopterans. Different diet compositions and different activity patterns between sympatric bat species indicated the presence of resource partitioning.