Land Use Changes Impact Bat Foraging Activity and Ecosystem Services

Research conducted by the University of the Basque Country (UPV) has shed light on the effects of human-driven landscape transformations on bat foraging activity. The study, funded by the Ministerio De Ciencia, Innovación Y Universidades and the Eusko Jaurlaritza, found that land-use modifications and agricultural intensification negatively impact bat foraging activity and, consequently, the potential ecosystem services they provide.

Key Takeaways:

• The notch-eared bat's dietary niche is adapted to anthropogenic land changes, with spiders being the most consumed prey item.
• Livestock pest flies (Muscidae) are also an important prey source for the notch-eared bat, particularly in areas with high livestock farming densities.
• Dietary diversity is higher in May, while the weighted percentage of occurrence (wPOO) of spiders is higher in July.
• Consumption of harmful livestock pests is more likely in areas where livestock are prevalent near the colony.
• Land cover and urban areas have a greater influence on the wPOO values of pests than livestock farming densities.

Statistics:

• 241 identified prey species were detected through DNA metabarcoding of 318 faecal samples.
• Spiders accounted for the highest weighted percentage of occurrence (wPOO) in the notch-eared bat's diet, at 43.1%.
• Livestock pest flies (Muscidae) accounted for 22.2% of the wPOO values in the notch-eared bat's diet.
• Dietary diversity was higher in May, at 0.83, compared to July, at 0.66.

Sources:

• DNA metabarcoding reveals the influence of land cover and farming on the dietary composition of a spider-specialist bat. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, 2025, 9():215-238.
• Researchers from University of the Basque Country (UPV) Detail New Studies and Findings in the Area of Livestock (DNA metabarcoding reveals the influence of land cover and farming on the dietary composition of a spider-specialist bat). Agriculture Week. July 3, 2025; p 276.