Bats Species Diversity and Seasonal Variation in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Abstract

We studied bat species diversity and the significance of its seasonal variation for bat conservation in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China. From January 2019 to December 2019, we conducted regular acoustic monitoring experiments. From 2017 to 2019, we used harp-traps and mist-nets to capture bats for species identification. In total, we recorded 32 species of bats representing 14 genera and 5 families, including 4 species of Pteropodidae, 12 species of Vespertilionidae, 5 species of Hipposideridae, and 11 species of Rhinolophidae. The families Vespertilionidae and Rhinolophidae had the highest species diversity while species of the Rhinolophidae had the highest activity intensity. All 32 species of bats were Oriental in distribution, but some species of Vespertilionidae and Rhinolophidae also occupy the Tibetan area of the Palaearctic, indicating that bat species distribution transitioned from subtropical to tropical in this area.Temperature was the key factor affecting bat activity intensity and the intra-annual distribution of species diversity. Tropical bats showed stronger relationships between their activity levels and seasonal variations in temperature than did other bats. During the dry season, species of the Hipposideridae showed migratory behavior, which altered local species diversity.