We are pleased to share with you an exciting new international scientific publication authored by Shasank Ongole and Dr. Mahesh Sankaran from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (India) in collaboration with Dr. Krithi K. Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies (India).
The paper titled “Responses of aerial insectivorous bats to local and landscape-level features of coffee agroforestry systems in Western Ghats, India” was published in the international journalPLOS One. It can be viewed online at the link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201648
The study monitored the species richness and activity of insectivorous bats in shade coffee plantations of Chikmagalur district using ultrasound detectors. Coffee farms were found to be an important commuting and feeding space for insectivorous bats. The role of bats in pest control has generally been an understudied topic.
The study determined that a few forest dependent species were rarely detected and suggested that for at-risk species, more research was needed. Quantifying ecosystem services like natural pest control would help incentivize biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats coffee landscapes.
