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The impact of rubber plantations on the diversity and activity of understorey insectivorous bats in southern Thailand

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Abstract

Although a large proportion of tropical rain-forest in South-east Asia has been replaced by rubber plantations, there is very little information about the impact of such forest conversion on bat diversity. To address this deficiency, trapping and acoustic monitoring programmes were carried out in Ton Nga Chang and Khao Ban That wildlife sanctuaries in southern Thailand with the purpose of comparing species diversity and activity of understorey insectivorous bats at sites in forest and in nearby monoculture rubber plantations. Insect biomass in both habitats was assessed. Bat species diversity and activity were found to be much lower in rubber plantations than in forested areas and mean insect biomass was determined to be more than twice as high in the latter habitat than in the former. Bats utilising forest were shown to have significantly higher call frequencies but marginally lower wing loadings and aspect ratios than bats found in both habitats. Management strategies to increase biodiversity in rubber plantations are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the staff of Ton Nga Chang WS and Khao Ban That WS, Thailand for their co-operation. We would like to thank Ariya Dejtaradol, Tuanjit Srithongchuay, Bounsavane Doungbouppha, Phouthone Kingsada, Pipat Soisook, Neil Furey, and all students at the Bat Research Unit, Department of Biology, Prince of Songkla University for their advice and help with fieldwork. Finally, we are most grateful to the Darwin Initiative, DEFRA (Project nos. 14-011 and 18-002), the Harrison Institute, Bat Conservation International (BCI), The Biodiversity Research and Training Program (BRT), and the Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University for their financial support. Thanks are due also to the three anonymous reviewers, whose comments led to a significant improvement of the original manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, 90112, Thailand

    Phansamai Phommexay, Chutamas Satasook & Sara Bumrungsri

  2. Faculty of Forest, National University of Laos, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Phansamai Phommexay

  3. Harrison Institute, Centre for Systematics and Biodiversity Research, Bowerwood House, St. Botolph’s Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3AQ, UK

    Paul Bates & Malcolm Pearch

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  1. Phansamai Phommexay
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Correspondence to Sara Bumrungsri.

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Phommexay, P., Satasook, C., Bates, P. et al. The impact of rubber plantations on the diversity and activity of understorey insectivorous bats in southern Thailand. Biodivers Conserv 20, 1441–1456 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0036-x

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