Aim The Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana), Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) and lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) undertake long-distance migrations from south-central Mexico to the south-western United States. It is proposed that these bats migrate along a nectar corridor of columnar cacti and Agave species, but this has not been tested with independent data and the spatiotemporal nature of this relationship is poorly understood. Our goal was to test this nectar corridor hypothesis and determine the relative importance of food plant and abiotic variables to the distribution and seasonal movements of these migratory nectarivores. Location Mexico and the south-western United States. Methods We generated species distribution models (SDMs) of documented food plants for these bats. We then created SDMs for each bat following a model selection approach, using food plant and abiotic predictor variables. We modelled migration pathways for C. mexicana and L. yerbabuenae using circuit theory and seasonal SDMs based on seasonally available food plants. Main conclusions Food plants were more important than climatic and topographic variables in shaping the distribution of these bats. The most important predictors of distribution were Agave, columnar cacti and species richness of food plants. Species richness of food plants was the most consistently important variable, but the components of this diversity varied by bat species: Choeronycteris mexicana was influenced by Agave and cacti; Leptonycteris nivalis was influenced solely by Agave; Leptonycteris yerbabuenae was influenced more generally by cacti, Agave and C3 plants. Migration models for C. mexicana and L. yerbabuenae provided independent support for the nectar corridor hypothesis and indicate shifts in relative importance of specific food plants throughout the year. These results suggest that conservation of these bats should focus more broadly on management for species richness of food plants, especially in tropical dry forests.
1.New Mexico State Univ, Dept Fish Wildlife & Conservat Ecol, 2980 South Espina,Knox Hail 132,POB 30003,MSC 490, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA 2.Colorado State Univ, Dept Fish Wildlife & Conservat Biol, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA 3.New Mexico State Univ, Dept Anim & Range Sci, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA
Recommended Citation:
Burke, Rachel A.,Frey, Jennifer K.,Ganguli, Amy,et al. Species distribution modelling supports "nectar corridor" hypothesis for migratory nectarivorous bats and conservation of tropical dry forest[J]. DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS,2019-01-01,25(9):1399-1415