Conservation of Mexican Long-Nosed Bats Along the Migration Route and Surrounding Maternity Caves
Abstract
The nectar-feeding Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis or L. nivalis)
population has been experiencing a steep decline over the past ten years. Conservation of this
species is vital for the mutualistic relationship between the plant genus Agave and the bat species
Leptonycteris nivalis. Bat pollination promotes genetic diversity of the agave plant and ensures
maintenance of the plant community structure. To gain an understanding of critical habitat
locations for conservation, I developed high-resolution species distribution models with data on
current and historic sites and observations. These revised models were used to hypothesize the
most likely migratory route of the species, which will be used to guide the search for additional
roosting caves along the migration.
Subject
EndangeredConservation
Bat
Mexican Long-nosed Bat
Greater Long-nosed Bat
Leptonycteris nivalis
Priority
Roost
SDM
NetLogo
Agave
Migration
Mexico
Big Bend
Mutualistic Relationship
Pollination
Genetic Diversity
Critical Habitat
Nectivorous
Yucca
Sierra Madre Oriental
Modeling
Citation
Stamps, Brittany F. (2017). Conservation of Mexican Long-Nosed Bats Along the Migration Route and Surrounding Maternity Caves. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /164558.