Relationships of bat biodiversity with agricultural landscape structure in northwestern Ecuador.
Description
Utilising this dataset, my team and I conducted an analysis of the relationship between bat assemblages and the structure of the tropical agricultural landscape at four sites in northwestern Ecuador.
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Phyllostomid bats were sampled with mist nets installed in plots located within the same circular areas where landscape structure was assessed. Plots were located in common and uncommon tree cover between sites. Data were collected over a period of four years, with five months (September, October, November, February and March) assessed in each year. Two field trips were conducted in each month, with a duration of two effective days of trapping in each trip. This resulted in a total of 19,200 m² of mist net area coverage (60 m² net area per night * 20 nights * four tree cover types * four sites) or 4,800 m² per site. Bat sampling was conducted in accordance with ARRIVE guidelines and regulations and the American Society for Mammalogy Guidelines for the use of wild mammals. The analysis of agricultural landscape structure was performed on the Land Use Cover Map of Ecuador (2013-2014) published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador. Landscape composition and configuration metrics were calculated for three circular dimensions using the Patch Analyst® extension installed in the ArcGIS® 10.2 geographic information system. Landscape analysis was conducted at the class level, which involved examining the set of agricultural fragments or patches of the same class present in the concentric areas where biological sampling was conducted.