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Dryad

Influence of ambient temperature on the phenology of the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis)

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May 01, 2023 version files 20.12 KB

Abstract

In order to assess the consequences of climate change and evaluate its impacts on wildlife, it is essential to do so on a species-specific level. It is assumed that changes in the ambient temperature influence energy consumption as well as food availability and thus foraging behaviour, reproduction, survival and therefore population dynamics in bats. Based on this assumption, the present study aims to gain insights into the roosting and breeding behaviour of the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) in relation to changes of the ambient temperature. For this purpose, we investigated the effect of ambient temperature on the phenology of the greater mouse-eared bat by using activity data of the bats collected using light barriers at the maternity roosts. The light barrier used in this study is a system that detects the interruption of two light beams, e.g. by a flying bat, and displays it as an electrical signal. The investigations have shown that (1) the higher the winter temperatures, the earlier the greater mouse-eared bats returned to the roosts to form the maternity colony; however, this was only true for ambient temperatures below 0.5 °C, (2) birth season started earlier at higher spring temperatures, and (3) the dissolution of maternity roosts occurred earlier with an earlier birth season and at higher ambient temperatures during lactation. The results revealed that ambient temperature has an influence on the phenology of the greater mouse-eared bat. This study highlights that in order to understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity, it is necessary to investigate in detail effects on a species-specific level and also to consider direct and indirect effects of ambient temperature on different life history stages.