Protecting bats as part of a vital ecosystem
#Ecology #Conservation #Sustainability #Bats
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/01/mozambique-wildlife-conservation-gorongosa-bats-guano-dna-wildlife-pests-aoe

#TwoForTuesday :
Two #Bats
Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd Ṭūsī, ʿAjāyib al-makhlūqāt va-gharāyib al-mawjūdāt, Baghdad 790 AH / 1388 CE
BnF, Supplément persan 332, fol. 223v
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8422994d/f460.item

8/8
I hope you enjoyed the #MarshMadness photographs which I have been posting this month, which have included photos of many of the wetlands I have had the rare privilege to study over my career. Wetlands are increasingly threatened globally, even here in Canada, and deserve our protection as a matter of urgency.
#Wetlands #Science #Ecology #EcosystemServices #Conservation #AerialInsectivores #Bats #Swallows #Entomology #CrossEcosystemFlux

7/8
This highlights the importance of preserving these poorly-studied, ephemeral habitats, which are often the first to be lost as rivers become disconnected from their floodplains. When this happens, we lose not only the natural beauty of the riverscape, but also a larder for aerial insectivores - both birds and bats - which forage the river corridor
#MarshMadness #Wetlands #Science #Ecology #EcosystemServices #Conservation #AerialInsectivores #Bats #Swallows #Entomology #CrossEcosystemFlux

6/8
Early results from our study are showing that wetlands which fringe the main river channel, which may completely dry up by the end of the summer, nevertheless provide a much richer and more abundant source of food for insectivores when compared to more isolated wetlands, which are generally less productive.
#MarshMadness #Wetlands #Science #Ecology #EcosystemServices #Conservation #AerialInsectivores #Bats #Swallows #Entomology #CrossEcosystemFlux

5/8
Here in the Canadian Maritimes, rivers remain diverse and productive, hosting a rich insect fauna, which emerge around the time of arrival of migratory insectivores such as tree swallows. A close up of our light trapping system, shows both aquatic and terrestrial insects (including a very large hawk moth!).
#MarshMadness #Wetlands #Science #Ecology #EcosystemServices #Conservation #AerialInsectivores #Bats #Swallows #Entomology #CrossEcosystemFlux

4/8
In addition to quantifying insect biomass, we also collect specimens of flying insect species to analyze their fatty-acid content. Fatty acids are extremely important in the early development of swallow nestlings, and aquatic insects provide a rich source. Sampling is performed at dusk using UV light attractors, when insects are on the wing,.
#MarshMadness #Wetlands #Science #Ecology #EcosystemServices #Conservation #AerialInsectivores #Bats #Swallows #Entomology #CrossEcosystemFlux