Bat (Chiroptera, Mammalia) assemblages from three fragments in the threatened Pernambuco Endemism Center, northeastern Brazil

Five centers of endemism are recognized in The Brazilian Atlantic Forest, including the Pernambuco center (PCE), which is located at the northern, and most impacted extreme of the biome, whose biodiversity is still relatively poorly-known. Using mist nets, we surveyed the bat assemblages of three privately-owned protected areas in the Brazilian state of Alagoas, located within the Pernambuco Centre of Endemism. The fragment areas ranged from 41 to 458 hectares. We compared the species composition, richness, and diversity of bat species among the areas. A total of 266 bats were captured, representing 21 species in five families, although 96% of the individuals captured belonged to species of the family Phyllostomidae. Six trophic guilds were recorded in the study. The highest species richness (14) and diversity were recorded at Madeira and Mata do Capiatã, although similarity was low among the assemblages of the three sites. The results of the study indicate that even small fragments of Atlantic Forest may support a considerable diversity of bats, especially at a landscape scale, and are thus vitally important for the maintenance of the ecosystem services provided by these mammals. Future research should adopt more comprehensive sampling methods, such as combining mist-nets with acoustic monitoring, to better represent the full spectrum of chiropteran diversity, particularly aerial insectivores.

Keywords:
Atlantic Forest; Chiropteran fauna; Diversity; Phyllostomids; Trophic guild; Mist-net