In Madagascar, the South and Southwest regions have for decades had locust outbreaks that have devastated crop fields. The locust species dominant in this area are the red locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) and the Mi...In Madagascar, the South and Southwest regions have for decades had locust outbreaks that have devastated crop fields. The locust species dominant in this area are the red locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) and the Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria capito). This paper aimed at determining the predation values from the Black Kite (Milvus migrans parasitus), a natural enemy for locusts, as a biological measure for locust outbreak control. Two types of experiments were done that included observed predation and experimental predation. It was observed, in the observed predation, that a higher number of locusts were found in the bird’s stomach during the afternoon session (mean = 66) than during the morning session (mean = 21). The high peak observed during the afternoon session was also associated with the feeding of larvae of the migratory locust. The experimental predation results showed that almost 100 percent of the larval and 97 percent of the fledglings were fed on. The experimental predation results also showed that there was no preference for larvae or fledglings in the cage and that the bird fed on the different combinations equally. This study showed that the Black Kite birds can effectively control locust population in an outbreak when they are easy to predate on. However, there is a need to assess the population of birds in locust infested areas to determine if the bird population is enough to predate on a locust outbreak.展开更多
Bats play crucial ecosystem services as seed dispersers,pollinators,controllers of insects,and nutrient recyclers.However,there has not been a thorough global review evaluating these roles in bats across all biogeogra...Bats play crucial ecosystem services as seed dispersers,pollinators,controllers of insects,and nutrient recyclers.However,there has not been a thorough global review evaluating these roles in bats across all biogeographical regions of the world.We reviewed the literature published during the last two decades and identified 283 relevant studies:78 dealt with the control of potential insect pests by bats,80 related to the suppression of other arthropods,60 on the dispersal of native or endemic seeds,11 dealt with the dispersal of seeds of introduced plants,29 on the pollination of native or endemic plants,1 study on pollination of introduced plants,and 24 on the use of guano as fertilizer.Our literature search showed that queries combining the terms“seed dispersal,”“insectivorous bats,”“nectarivorous bats,”“use of guano,”and“ecosystem services”returned 577 studies,but half were experimental in nature.We found that the evaluation of ecosystem services by bats has been mostly conducted in the Neotropical and Palearctic regions.To detect differences across relevant studies,and to explain trends in the study of ecosystem services provided by bats,we performed generalized linear mixed models(GLMM)fitted with a Poisson distribution to analyze potential differences among sampling methods.We identified 409 bat species that provide ecosystem services,752 insect species consumed by bats and 549 plant species either dispersed or pollinated by bats.Our review summarizes the importance of conserving bat populations and the ecological services they provide,which is especially important during the current pandemic.展开更多
文摘In Madagascar, the South and Southwest regions have for decades had locust outbreaks that have devastated crop fields. The locust species dominant in this area are the red locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) and the Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria capito). This paper aimed at determining the predation values from the Black Kite (Milvus migrans parasitus), a natural enemy for locusts, as a biological measure for locust outbreak control. Two types of experiments were done that included observed predation and experimental predation. It was observed, in the observed predation, that a higher number of locusts were found in the bird’s stomach during the afternoon session (mean = 66) than during the morning session (mean = 21). The high peak observed during the afternoon session was also associated with the feeding of larvae of the migratory locust. The experimental predation results showed that almost 100 percent of the larval and 97 percent of the fledglings were fed on. The experimental predation results also showed that there was no preference for larvae or fledglings in the cage and that the bird fed on the different combinations equally. This study showed that the Black Kite birds can effectively control locust population in an outbreak when they are easy to predate on. However, there is a need to assess the population of birds in locust infested areas to determine if the bird population is enough to predate on a locust outbreak.
基金support (doctoral scholarships) during the development ofthis review.
文摘Bats play crucial ecosystem services as seed dispersers,pollinators,controllers of insects,and nutrient recyclers.However,there has not been a thorough global review evaluating these roles in bats across all biogeographical regions of the world.We reviewed the literature published during the last two decades and identified 283 relevant studies:78 dealt with the control of potential insect pests by bats,80 related to the suppression of other arthropods,60 on the dispersal of native or endemic seeds,11 dealt with the dispersal of seeds of introduced plants,29 on the pollination of native or endemic plants,1 study on pollination of introduced plants,and 24 on the use of guano as fertilizer.Our literature search showed that queries combining the terms“seed dispersal,”“insectivorous bats,”“nectarivorous bats,”“use of guano,”and“ecosystem services”returned 577 studies,but half were experimental in nature.We found that the evaluation of ecosystem services by bats has been mostly conducted in the Neotropical and Palearctic regions.To detect differences across relevant studies,and to explain trends in the study of ecosystem services provided by bats,we performed generalized linear mixed models(GLMM)fitted with a Poisson distribution to analyze potential differences among sampling methods.We identified 409 bat species that provide ecosystem services,752 insect species consumed by bats and 549 plant species either dispersed or pollinated by bats.Our review summarizes the importance of conserving bat populations and the ecological services they provide,which is especially important during the current pandemic.
