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<p>Urbanization is a leading driver of habitat loss and environmental change, transforming natural landscapes into built areas and disrupting ecological processes. Bats, particularly Phyllostomidae, respond variably to these changes due to their ecological roles, dietary diversity, and roosting flexibility. In Brazil, 42 phyllostomid species have been documented in urban areas, often associated with green spaces. We assessed the composition, abundance, and habitat use of phyllostomid bats in João Pessoa-PB, northeastern Brazil, comparing Atlantic Forest fragments (FF) with urbanized matrix areas (UM). During 106 capture nights, 4,315 individuals representing 14 species were recorded. The median richness per sampling night was significantly greater in FF than in UM. Assemblages were dominated by generalist species, particularly <i>Artibeus planirostris</i>. Multivariate analyses revealed clear differences in community composition between environments (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), with an average Bray–Curtis dissimilarity of 61.47%. Beta diversity (β-sor = 0.217), indicating relatively low overall dissimilarity, was entirely explained by nestedness, indicating that urban assemblages represent reduced subsets of forest communities. <i>Artibeus planirostris</i> was recorded in 100% of urban samples and was the only species consistently distributed across the urban matrix, indicating a high synanthropic potential and the ability to maintain populations in highly urbanized environments. Other species occurred only sporadically in urban areas and depended on structurally complex green spaces and connectivity with FF. In contrast, forest-associated species were recorded exclusively in FF and at low frequencies. These results indicate that urbanization acts as an ecological filter, favoring generalist and behaviorally flexible species while highlighting the importance of FF and complex green spaces for maintaining bat diversity and ecosystem services in cities.</p>

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Urbanization as an ecological filter: community structure and synanthropic potential of phyllostomid bats in an Atlantic forest urban landscape of Northeastern Brazil

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月15日

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  • Jeanneson Sales,
  • Natan Diego Alves de Freitas,
  • Giuseppe Rolim de Araújo Barreto,
  • Emmanuel Messias Vilar,
  • Hannah Larissa Nunes de Lima,
  • Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela,
  • Fabiana Lopes Rocha,
  • Patrício Adriano da Rocha

摘要

Urbanization is a leading driver of habitat loss and environmental change, transforming natural landscapes into built areas and disrupting ecological processes. Bats, particularly Phyllostomidae, respond variably to these changes due to their ecological roles, dietary diversity, and roosting flexibility. In Brazil, 42 phyllostomid species have been documented in urban areas, often associated with green spaces. We assessed the composition, abundance, and habitat use of phyllostomid bats in João Pessoa-PB, northeastern Brazil, comparing Atlantic Forest fragments (FF) with urbanized matrix areas (UM). During 106 capture nights, 4,315 individuals representing 14 species were recorded. The median richness per sampling night was significantly greater in FF than in UM. Assemblages were dominated by generalist species, particularly Artibeus planirostris. Multivariate analyses revealed clear differences in community composition between environments (p < 0.001), with an average Bray–Curtis dissimilarity of 61.47%. Beta diversity (β-sor = 0.217), indicating relatively low overall dissimilarity, was entirely explained by nestedness, indicating that urban assemblages represent reduced subsets of forest communities. Artibeus planirostris was recorded in 100% of urban samples and was the only species consistently distributed across the urban matrix, indicating a high synanthropic potential and the ability to maintain populations in highly urbanized environments. Other species occurred only sporadically in urban areas and depended on structurally complex green spaces and connectivity with FF. In contrast, forest-associated species were recorded exclusively in FF and at low frequencies. These results indicate that urbanization acts as an ecological filter, favoring generalist and behaviorally flexible species while highlighting the importance of FF and complex green spaces for maintaining bat diversity and ecosystem services in cities.