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<p>Agroforest perforation is a form of land-use change that introduces small clearings within otherwise continuous forests, often representing the initial stage of habitat fragmentation, and introducing edge effects. Despite its prevalence in protected landscapes, biodiversity responses to perforation remain poorly studied, limiting our understanding of how early structural changes shape species persistence before extensive forest loss. Bats are sensitive indicators of habitat modification and show ensemble and species-specific responses. We investigated how unmodified forest and a gradient of early (agroforest perforations) to advanced (tea plantations) habitat modification shape (1) bat species composition, (2) acoustic activity, and (3) the response of a widespread insectivorous species, <i>Hipposideros lankadiva</i> in three protected areas (PAs) in Northeast Bangladesh. We surveyed bats using mist nets and harp traps at two localities per land-use type and conducted acoustic monitoring along four replicated transects per land-use type in each PA. We captured 712 individuals across 16 species from five families. Mist nets primarily captured frugivorous and nectarivorous bats, whereas harp traps captured insectivorous bats that forage in the forest interior and forest gaps and edges. Recorded acoustic activity was highest in tea plantations, dominated by edge/gap and open space foragers. <i>H. lankadiva</i> exhibited comparable acoustic activity across land-use types, indicating generalist foraging behavior. Overall, perforations supported disturbance-tolerant ensembles and showed early compositional filtering by increased generalist fruit-eating bats and loss of forest interior specialists. These results emphasize that perforations introduce early compositional shifts and that unmodified forest remnants within PAs remain irreplaceable for protecting forest interior bat diversity.</p>

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Habitat perforation changes bat species composition and acoustic activity in forest remnants

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月23日

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  • Md Ashraf Ul Hasan,
  • Tigga Kingston

摘要

Agroforest perforation is a form of land-use change that introduces small clearings within otherwise continuous forests, often representing the initial stage of habitat fragmentation, and introducing edge effects. Despite its prevalence in protected landscapes, biodiversity responses to perforation remain poorly studied, limiting our understanding of how early structural changes shape species persistence before extensive forest loss. Bats are sensitive indicators of habitat modification and show ensemble and species-specific responses. We investigated how unmodified forest and a gradient of early (agroforest perforations) to advanced (tea plantations) habitat modification shape (1) bat species composition, (2) acoustic activity, and (3) the response of a widespread insectivorous species, Hipposideros lankadiva in three protected areas (PAs) in Northeast Bangladesh. We surveyed bats using mist nets and harp traps at two localities per land-use type and conducted acoustic monitoring along four replicated transects per land-use type in each PA. We captured 712 individuals across 16 species from five families. Mist nets primarily captured frugivorous and nectarivorous bats, whereas harp traps captured insectivorous bats that forage in the forest interior and forest gaps and edges. Recorded acoustic activity was highest in tea plantations, dominated by edge/gap and open space foragers. H. lankadiva exhibited comparable acoustic activity across land-use types, indicating generalist foraging behavior. Overall, perforations supported disturbance-tolerant ensembles and showed early compositional filtering by increased generalist fruit-eating bats and loss of forest interior specialists. These results emphasize that perforations introduce early compositional shifts and that unmodified forest remnants within PAs remain irreplaceable for protecting forest interior bat diversity.