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Forest proximity enhances bat activity in Midwestern agricultural fields: Implications for edge management and ecosystem services

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Forest proximity enhances bat activity in Midwestern agricultural fields: Implications for edge management and ecosystem services
Authors: Morgan L. Chaney, William A. Mitchell
Source: Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol 63, Iss , Pp e03913- (2025)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Ecology
Subject Terms: Bat activity, Forest edges, Agroecosystems, Biodiversity conservation, Ecosystem services, Edge effects, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Description: Forest edges are known to support biodiversity and ecosystem function in agricultural landscapes, but their role in shaping bat activity across large-scale monocultures remains unclear. We investigated how proximity to forested edges influences insectivorous bat activity across phonic groups in Midwestern U.S. row crop systems, and whether these effects persist after controlling for insect abundance and abiotic conditions. Acoustic recordings and paired insect samples were collected from June to September in Indiana corn and soybean fields (n = 20 sites). Generalized linear mixed models revealed that bat activity was significantly higher near tree lines for all phonic groups, with low-frequency and Myotis phonic groups showing the strongest spatial associations. These patterns closely tracked insect abundance, suggesting that forest adjacent fields may offer enhanced foraging opportunities. Our results provide fine-scale, field-based evidence that retaining or restoring forest elements along crop boundaries can bolster bat presence and help sustain biodiversity and ecological function in simplified agroecosystems.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2351-9894
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425005141; https://doaj.org/toc/2351-9894
DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03913
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/c43533a8fb2049ec86d470eef6cccbe0
Accession Number: edsdoj.43533a8fb2049ec86d470eef6cccbe0
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
Description
Abstract:Forest edges are known to support biodiversity and ecosystem function in agricultural landscapes, but their role in shaping bat activity across large-scale monocultures remains unclear. We investigated how proximity to forested edges influences insectivorous bat activity across phonic groups in Midwestern U.S. row crop systems, and whether these effects persist after controlling for insect abundance and abiotic conditions. Acoustic recordings and paired insect samples were collected from June to September in Indiana corn and soybean fields (n = 20 sites). Generalized linear mixed models revealed that bat activity was significantly higher near tree lines for all phonic groups, with low-frequency and Myotis phonic groups showing the strongest spatial associations. These patterns closely tracked insect abundance, suggesting that forest adjacent fields may offer enhanced foraging opportunities. Our results provide fine-scale, field-based evidence that retaining or restoring forest elements along crop boundaries can bolster bat presence and help sustain biodiversity and ecological function in simplified agroecosystems.
ISSN:23519894
DOI:10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03913