Methodological challenges in monitoring bat population- and assemblage-level changes for anthropogenic impact assessment

摘要: Recent years have seen increased attention to bats as an effective bioindicator group for assessing responses drivers of global change, which concurrently has led a revived interest in establishing bat monitoring network. To be and efficient, global-scale will largely rely on integrating data collected part network regional schemes. Herein, I highlight discuss some the principal challenges faced population- assemblage-level changes bats, focusing mainly methodological statistical issues selection suitable state variables quantifying trends biodiversity. Particularly tropics, where detailed single-species is challenging due high species richness, recommend that programs focus tracking turnover composition more informative measures anthropogenic impact than richness. Imperfect detection important source variation uncertainty associated with animal count data. Bat need correct this, most importantly through use sampling protocols strictly standardized approaches well-balanced design, or posteriori by using appropriate models so avoid spurious trends. Multi-species occupancy allow simultaneous assemblage- species-level inference about occurrence probabilities provide analysis framework data, are comparatively low-cost approach should prove useful especially tropics. ensure robust temporal spatial trend estimates interest, efficacy designs carefully gauged at design stage sufficient power, according formal randomized regional-scale inference. stress importance long-term sustained funding, establish trigger points application mitigation measures, adaptive maximize effectiveness efficiency based collected. Finally, argue overcome initiating networks tropical countries – major step towards realization reliance citizen scientists participatory key.