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Hernani Oliveira

Aug 25 • 38 tweets • 15 min read

The Dekeyser's Nectar Bat (Lonchophylla dekeyseri) is an endangered and endemic cave bat species from the Neotropical savannas (Cerrado). Follow the line to know more about its conservation status... #Cerrado #conservation #bat #Chiroptera #cave #savanna #mining #deforestation

Even though Cerrado is less than half the size of the Amazon forest, it is a biodiversity hotspot that faces higher or equivalent deforestation rates than the Amazon due to the conversion of the vegetation mostly into pastures and soy bean plantations.

Most of the vegetation conversion to agriculture was only possible due to a technique called "calagem" developed in the 70's to increase the acidic low pH of Cerrado soil. However, part of the limestone used to correct Cerrado soil pH come from limestone exploitation from caves

Thus, cave exploitation threatens the conservation of all cave fauna, including cave bats. This is especially concerning since ~40% of all Brazilian caves are located in the Cerrado, and cave protection legislation has been weakened in the last decades...

Moreover, cave bats are also threatened due to the deforestation, especially nectarivorous species, such as the Dekeyser's Nectar Bat (Lonchophylla dekeyseri) which have a higher metabolism and depend on food resources across the landscape to survive and move

However, even though the Dekeyser's Nectar bat is considered to be endangered according to the IUCN, no updated evaluation of its conservation status including deforestation and mining risks was currently available....

An interesting aspect of the conservation of Lonchophylla dekeyseri is that caves are the only known roost for the species, thus important for its conservation, but also the presence of this endangered species also guarantees the protection of the caves within its distribution

Thus, the conservation of Cerrado caves is not only important for Lonchophylla dekeyseri conservation, but the conservation of Lonchophylla dekeyseri is also important for cave conservation in the Cerrado

In order to uncover the conservation status of Lonchophylla dekeyseri: Our aims were fourfold: 1) model the potential distribution of the Dekeyser’s nectar bat (Lonchophylla dekeyseri) in the Brazilian Cerrado, and describe the main factors that affect its occurrence;

2) evaluate the proportion of L. dekeyseri predicted distribution that is preserved inside protected areas or that has been deforested;

3) evaluate the impact of mining pressures and the role of protected areas on the conservation of caves that can be used as roosts by L. dekeyseri;

and 4) assess the conservation priorities for the caves and the species within its potential distribution area

We have found the caves are an important predictor of the species presence in the landscape. However, the species severely threatened due to deforestation of the Cerrado in general, but also around Cerrado caves. Moreover, mining also poses an important threat to L. dekeyseri.

Additionally, most of the of the species potential distribution and the caves within it are not preserved inside any kind of protected area, which deepens the already complicated scenario for its conservation.

If you want to know more about this, story, do not forget to read our article, you will find many more information inside it! Have a good read! :)
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