Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland
ABSTRACT Climate change poses significant consequences for temperate bat species, potentially altering their distribution ranges and generating novel interactions among species sharing similar ecological niches. Recent observations suggest distribution range expansion in the Palearctic aerial hawkin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70599 |
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| author | Piia Lundberg Miika Kotila Katarina Meramo Kati M. Suominen Miina Suutari Tia‐Marie Pietikäinen Ville Vasko Thomas M. Lilley |
| author_facet | Piia Lundberg Miika Kotila Katarina Meramo Kati M. Suominen Miina Suutari Tia‐Marie Pietikäinen Ville Vasko Thomas M. Lilley |
| author_sort | Piia Lundberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Climate change poses significant consequences for temperate bat species, potentially altering their distribution ranges and generating novel interactions among species sharing similar ecological niches. Recent observations suggest distribution range expansion in the Palearctic aerial hawking bat, Pipistrellus nathusii, prompting an investigation into its interaction with Eptesicus nilssonii, a northern Palearctic species overlapping with the previous in many ecological characteristics. This study examines the spatiotemporal variations between the two boreal bat species to form an evidence‐based background onto which future research on, e.g., resource competition, can be built. A comprehensive community science project engaged over 470 participants from 45 high schools to collect acoustic data on bat echolocation calls across Finland, in northern Europe, during the summers of 2019–2020. Our modelling approach reveals distinct spatiotemporal patterns for each species. In early summer, E. nilssonii activity is concentrated in the southern region, whereas by late summer, observations are distributed across our study area, though predominantly in the south. This pattern suggests that E. nilssonii could exhibit post‐breeding vagrant behaviour, an observation only recently evidenced in bats. Conversely, the activity of P. nathusii remains notably low throughout the season, with observations concentrated along the south coast during both early and late seasons, making it challenging to fully model its distribution. Despite initial expectations of overlap given their similar foraging behaviour and habitat preferences, the limited activity and coastal association of P. nathusii suggest low competitive interaction with E. nilssonii. These findings contribute to our understanding of bat spatial ecology amid changing environmental conditions, emphasising the necessity for ongoing monitoring to ascertain the long‐term implications of shifting species distributions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f648b1992a94489adf02e1675ddaf79 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f648b1992a94489adf02e1675ddaf792025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70599Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in FinlandPiia Lundberg0Miika Kotila1Katarina Meramo2Kati M. Suominen3Miina Suutari4Tia‐Marie Pietikäinen5Ville Vasko6Thomas M. Lilley7Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandDepartment of Biology University of Turku Turku FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandFinnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandABSTRACT Climate change poses significant consequences for temperate bat species, potentially altering their distribution ranges and generating novel interactions among species sharing similar ecological niches. Recent observations suggest distribution range expansion in the Palearctic aerial hawking bat, Pipistrellus nathusii, prompting an investigation into its interaction with Eptesicus nilssonii, a northern Palearctic species overlapping with the previous in many ecological characteristics. This study examines the spatiotemporal variations between the two boreal bat species to form an evidence‐based background onto which future research on, e.g., resource competition, can be built. A comprehensive community science project engaged over 470 participants from 45 high schools to collect acoustic data on bat echolocation calls across Finland, in northern Europe, during the summers of 2019–2020. Our modelling approach reveals distinct spatiotemporal patterns for each species. In early summer, E. nilssonii activity is concentrated in the southern region, whereas by late summer, observations are distributed across our study area, though predominantly in the south. This pattern suggests that E. nilssonii could exhibit post‐breeding vagrant behaviour, an observation only recently evidenced in bats. Conversely, the activity of P. nathusii remains notably low throughout the season, with observations concentrated along the south coast during both early and late seasons, making it challenging to fully model its distribution. Despite initial expectations of overlap given their similar foraging behaviour and habitat preferences, the limited activity and coastal association of P. nathusii suggest low competitive interaction with E. nilssonii. These findings contribute to our understanding of bat spatial ecology amid changing environmental conditions, emphasising the necessity for ongoing monitoring to ascertain the long‐term implications of shifting species distributions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70599 |
| spellingShingle | Piia Lundberg Miika Kotila Katarina Meramo Kati M. Suominen Miina Suutari Tia‐Marie Pietikäinen Ville Vasko Thomas M. Lilley Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland Ecology and Evolution |
| title | Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland |
| title_full | Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland |
| title_fullStr | Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland |
| title_short | Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland |
| title_sort | contrasting seasonal distribution patterns of two boreal aerial hawking bat species in finland |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70599 |
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