Abstract

FLORES-SALDANA, Mónica Gabriela. Bat community structure in an environmental gradient at the Biosphere Reserve and Communitarian Land of Origin Pilon Lajas, Bolivia. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2008, vol.15, n.2, pp.309-322. ISSN 0327-9383.

The bat communities along an environmental gradient in the RB TCO Pilón Lajas, La Paz-Bolivia were described and compared. The gradient was placed in four vegetation formations: riverine forest (BR), old vázea forest (BT), lower Beni Yungas tall forest (BA) and Yungas-Amazonian transitional cloud forest (BN). The samples were collected in the wet and dry seasons of 2000 over 59 nights and exposing 3408 meters of mist net for 396 hours. A total of 578 individuals were captured, distributed in 35 species, 31 phyllostomids, two molossids, one thyropterid, and one vespertilionid. Twenty five species were found in BR, 21 species in formations BT and BA, and 18 species in BN. The most abundant species were Carollia perspicillata followed by Sturnira lilium, Carollia brevicauda, and Phyllostomus hastatus that altogether represented 57% of the community. The Shannon-Wiener index was 2.58 for the gradient. Using the Morisita-Horn index of similarity a dendrogram was elaborated, showing that the BT and BA formations had the greater similarity and BR was the most different. The predominant guild in the communities was 70% frugivorous. In conclusion, species richness, relative abundance, indices of diversity and guild structures varied in relation to the environmental gradient. The lowest vegetation formation presented the greatest values of species' richness, relative abundance and indices of diversity; while the intermediate floors, altogether and without noticeable differences showed an intermediate rank of values. The highest vegetation formation presented the lowest values of species' richness, relative abundance, and indices of diversity.

Keywords : Chiroptera; Environmental gradient; Trophic structure; Yungas-Amazonía.

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