Interspecific and Intraspecific Partitioning of Foraging Times Among Three Tropical Bat Species in La Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, Mexico
Abstract
Bats play a vital role in many ecosystems by functioning as
pollinators, seed dispersers, and pest-eaters. The greatest number of
species can be found in the Neotropical zones, where it has been shown
that an increase in the number of bat species corresponds to an increase
in community diversity.
One such place is the tropical rainforest of the Sierra Norte,
located in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca (Fig. 1). To date, no
studies here have investigated the behaviors that allow ecologically
similar bat species to coexist in ways that minimize interference
competition. I investigated the three most abundant bat species in the
area: Dermanura tolteca, Sturnira ludovici, and Centurio senex, all of
the family Phyllostomidae. These species are medium-sized frugivores
(fruit-eating) known to roost in trees throughout Mexico, Central
America, and northern parts of South America. I have investigated
temporal partitioning as a possible mechanism of coexistence between
these species.
I hypothesize that there is a difference in times of foraging
activity between the species (interspecific), and between members of
different sexes, age-classes, and reproductive states within each species
(intraspecific).
Knowing the dynamic interactions of these groups will help us to
better understand how members of a species utilize resources to
facilitate their continued survival. It is imperative to study the very
behaviors that allow bats to exist, as these species are crucial to the
functioning and conservation of tropical ecosystems.