Contrasting Influence of Vegetation, Landscape, and Abiotic Factors on Bat Activity Across Different Mediterranean Habitats

Mosaic landscapes are anticipated to hold a higher abundance and diversity of Mediterranean bat species. However, the magnitude in which vegetation structure at local and landscape scales, the presence of livestock, anthropogenic structures such as buildings and roads, and abiotic factors influence bat activity and richness still need to be better investigated. Here, we used acoustic monitoring over two years to explore the seasonal response of bat activity and species compositions across four different habitats (forest, shrubland, olive grove, and pastureland) inside a natural reserve in Sicily, Italy, and understand the effects of vegetation structure, landscape scales and abiotic factors on the bat activity and species richness. We identified a total of 15 bat species and phonic groups from 10,957 calls. Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Pipistrellus pygmaeus were the most prevalent species. We found no significant variations in bat activity among the studied habitats. However, overall, higher bat activity was associated with areas exhibiting trees with higher diameter at breast height (i.e., forest habitats). A negative correlation was noted between open and narrow bat guild species activity and road proximity, while dung density positively influenced narrow bat activity. Abiotic factors, such as elevation and moonlight illumination intensity, had a positive impact on overall bat activity. Our results reflect the significant role of mosaic landscapes in shaping bat communities, influencing bat activity and species distribution while providing diverse landscape and vegetation compositions that can support different bat species and guild groups.