Biotic predictors complement models of bat and bird responses to climate and tree diversity in European forests

摘要: Bats and birds are key providers of ecosystem services in forests. How climate habitat jointly shape their communities is well studied, but whether biotic predictors from other trophic levels may improve bird bat diversity models less known, especially across large bioclimatic gradients. Here, we achieved multi-taxa surveys 209 mature forests replicated six European countries Spain to Finland, investigate the importance (i.e. abundance or activity defoliating insects, spiders, earthworms wild ungulates) for taxonomic functional diversity. We found that nine out 12 metrics were best explained when factors added including variables, with a mean gain variance 38% 15% bats. Tree was most important predictor birds, while bats responded more understorey structure. The spider insect activity, only evenness positively herbivory. Accounting potential interactions between bats, taxa lower will help understand how environmental changes along biogeographical gradients affect higher-level predator forest ecosystems.