Guano morphology has the potential to inform conservation strategies in British bats

Bats are primary consumers of nocturnal insects, disperse nutrients across landscapes, and are excellent bioindicators of an ecosystem’s health, however four of the seventeen Great British species are listed as declining. In this study we aim to investigate the link between bat guano morphology and diet, specifically looking at the ability to predict 1) species, 2) dietary guild, and 3) bat size, using guano morphology alone. Guano from 16 bat species sampled from across Great Britain were analysed to determine various morphological metrics. These data were coupled with diet data obtained by an extensive literature review. It was found that guano morphology overlapped too much to make predictions on the species of bat which deposited the guano, however, in some cases, it could be used to indicate the dietary guild to which the bat belonged. In general, guano morphology seems more correlated to diet than species. This enables the identification of the most important prey taxa within a local environment; a crucial step for informing conservation strategies

Iron Age to Medieval entomogamous vegetation and Rhinolophus hipposideros roost in south-eastern Wales (UK)

Karst cave systems are well developed in Wales (UK) and, in some instances, constitute important bat roosts. Ogof Draenen, near Blaenavon in south-east Wales, is the most recent major cave discovery (1994) with already > 70 km of passages explored spanning a vertical range of 148 m. With the exception of one small chamber (Siambre Ddu) located directly above the main Ogof Draenen system, very few bats have been noticed inside. Extensive accumulations of guano, attributable to Rhinolophus hipposideros, are however found in parts of the Ogof Draenen system. In places covering many square meters and sometimes building heaps > 0.5 m thick, these represent volumes not yet found in any other cave system in the British Isles. Although the date of the abandonment of the main Ogof Draenen system as a bat roost remains unknown, six radiocarbon dates on guano from Ogof Draenen place the occupation in the Iron Age to Medieval period at least. Palynological analysis was undertaken on ten samples distributed through the cave. Comparisons were made with a moss polster and a lake mud sample from the area to provide a first approximation of the regional modern pollen rain and with two modern guano samples, one from Siambre Ddu and one from Agen Allwedd cave (5 km to the north-west) to provide a temporal comparison with the fossil guano. Agen Allwedd cave currently is one of the largest active roosts for Lesser Horseshoe bats in Britain and lies close to the present northern limit of this endangered species in Europe. The main results are that the cave appears to have been used both as a summer and a winter roost; most of the Ogof Draenen guano is formed within c.1600 14C years and, if the largest heap is continuous, it has accumulated within 750 14C years, i. e. 0.16 mm.year-1; the fossil guano samples reflect a relatively closed oak forest with more abundant ivy (Hedera) and holly (Ilex) than at present; insect-pollinated plants such as Ilex, Acer, Hedera and Impatiens glandulifera are over–represented in the guano samples; in addition to the usual causes of bat roost decline (pesticides, pollution), in the case of Ogof Draenen, we may add entrance blocked by rock collapse and decline of the local forest cover as well as change in its composition

Stable isotopes of subfossil bat guano as a long-term environmental archive: insights from a Grand Canyon cave deposit

We investigated the utility of subfossil bat guano as a paleoenvironmental archive by comparing elemental ratios and d13C, d15N, and dD values of various simple extracts from bulk material. Solvent-extracted guano yielded consistent C:N and N:H ratios, and d13C values of solvent-extracted guano exhibited strong covariation with dD values, as well as with the d13C values of other simple extracts (bulk guano, bulk lipid). The results suggest that reliable records are easily recovered for d13C, and also indicate that d15N values may have utility as a paleoenvironmental archive. Despite coeval d13C values of bulk guano and solvent-extracted guano, 14C ages of the different fractions did not always yield similar ages, indicating that future refinement of a suitable extraction protocol is required. Applying these protocols to an ancient bat guano deposit allowed us to infer that climate at the Grand Canyon during the late Pleistocene was more variable and generally cooler and wetter, relative to Holocene climate. We conclude that guano deposits are an underutilized, yet powerful continental paleoenvironmental archive of climate change for semi-arid and tropical regions

Cavefish Population Status and Environmental Quality in Cave Springs Cave, Arkansas - Final Report submitted to Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

This report summarizes the continuing effort to monitor environmental quality in the Cave Springs Cave Natural Area and to implement the Ozark Cavefish Recovery Plan. Last year’s report (Brown et al., 1998) identified certain environmental stressors, including a trend over 15 years of increasing nutrient pollution, a low cavefish population count of only 106, and the presence of heavy metals in the cave water and one semi-volatile organic compound (the phthalate DEHP at 500 ppb) in resident crayfish tissue. This year’s monitoring effort demonstrates that fecal coliforms continue to exceed Arkansas State Water Quality Standards (Regulation 2), sometimes by a factor of 1000. The presence of heavy metals is confirmed, in not only the cave water and sediments, but in crayfish tissue, which implies that it may be bioaccumulating in the cave foodweb. Furthermore, beryllium, copper, lead, selenium, and zinc are present in concentrations in the cave water that exceeded the Regulation 2 standards for chronic, and sometimes acute, toxicity to aquatic life. Significant amounts of nitrate are also present (with a yearly average of over 5 mg NO3-N/ L), and phosphate concentrations occasionally exceed Regulation 2 standards. Concentrations of nitrate, ortho-phosphate, total phosphate, total coliforms, and several dissolved metals (Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, and Pb) were all highly correlated with discharge, and concentrations were highest during stormflow events. No pesticides were detected in cave water, crayfish tissue or bat guano. Phthalates were again detected in crayfish tissue (DEP and DEHP at 1 ppb each), as well as the cave water (DEHP at 0.7 ppb). While the effects of these phthalates upon aquatic organisms are unknown, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency considers phthalates to be human carcinogens and hormone disrupters. Ironically, while the cavefish habitat appears to be quite polluted, this year’s population survey counted 166 Ozark cavefish, the most ever counted for this (or any other) habitat. In order to integrate these pollution concerns and other data about this cave complex, a geographic information system was created for the Cave Springs Cave recharge zone. Preliminary analyses have detected several sensitive areas and pollution sources. The cave complex was determined to extend outside of the Natural Area boundary, and several sinkholes were identified. Photo-lineaments and fracture traces were identified, and other studies in Benton County demonstrate that these features, commonly expressed as intermittent streams on the surface, allow surface pollutants to rapidly enter the groundwater. Protection of these adjacent lands, sinkholes, and streams is recommended. The reduction or cessation of the land application of sewage sludge and agricultural waste in the recharge zone is also recommended

Bat urea-derived minerals in arid environment. First identification of allantoin, C4H6N4O3, in Kahf Kharrat Najem Cave, United Arab Emirates

Kahf Kharrat Najem Cave is a small cave in United Arab Emirates (UAE) that hosts a bat colony which is the source of guano deposits and peculiar centimeter-long yellowish stalactites. The mineralogy and geochemistry of these deposits were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic microanalysis (EDX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and stable isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N). Urea CO(NH2)2 was found to be the main compound of these stalactites, while allantoin C4H6N4O3 was found to be an accessory urea byproduct. This paper is the first to mention allantoin in a cave environment. We also identified rare sulfate minerals (aphthitalite, alunite) and phosphates that probably correspond to the archerite-biphosphammite series. The occurrence of these rare bat-related minerals is due to the extremely dry conditions in the cave, which accounts for the extraordinary preservation of the guano deposits and allows for the crystallization of these very soluble minerals.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Origin and distribution of mineral species in limestone caves

More than 80 mineral species are known to result from secondary chemical reactions in solutional limestone caverns. These minerals are transitional and end-products of carbonate wall rock interactions with ground water and organic residue. Bacteria are often critical in fixing various ions in these reactions. Ultimate source of metallic ions is usually the sulphide minerals weathering in overlying strata, and brought to the cave environment by circulating ground waters. Hydrothermal solutions may bring heavy metallic ion concentrations from deeper strata. About one-third of the known cave mineral species occur in stalactitic form

Are sacred caves still safe havens for the endemic bats of Madagascar?

Despite conservation discourses in Madagascar increasingly emphasizing the role of customary institutions for wildlife management, we know relatively little about their effectiveness. Here, we used semi-structured interviews (n = 54 adults in 8 villages) to investigate whether sacred caves and taboos offer in situ conservation benefits for cave-dwelling bats in and around Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Southwest Madagascar. Although some caves were described as sites of spiritual significance for the local communities, most interviewees (~76%) did not recognize their present-day sacred status. Similarly, only 22% of the interviewees recognized taboos inhibiting bat hunting and consumption. In general, legal protection of both bats and caves was often more acknowledged than customary regulations, although up to 30% of the interviewees reported bat bushmeat consumption within their communities. Guano extraction was often tolerated in sacred caves, in exchange for economic compensations. In view of these results, our study questions the extent to which sacred sites, taboos and legal frameworks offer protection for bats in Madagascar. These results align with previous studies documenting the erosion of customary institutions in Madagascar, including the loss of the spiritual values underpinning sacred sites. Guano harvesting may benefit bat conservation, although it is often performed through destructive and exploitative practices with low benefits for the local communities. Given that many Malagasy bats are cave-dwelling species and that most depend on the customary protection of these sites, it remains paramount to better understand the complex interactions between spiritual practices, taboos and protected areas in sustaining ‒or not‒ bat diversity

Mercury Bioaccumulation in Bat Populations in Mammoth Cave National Park: Modern, Historical, and Ancient Samples

The first human to enter Mammoth Cave passed under its arch about 4,000 years ago, but bats have been calling it home long before humans discovered it. Due to environmental exposure of mercury, these bats potentially show substantial mercury bioaccumulation. Bats now come into contact with mercury through atmospheric deposition from industrial sources. It is expected that the modern bats residing in Mammoth Cave should have measurable levels of mercury in their system which has been determined by guano analysis. Over fifty current samples of bat guano have been analyzed and exhibit mercury levels at the part per billion level. These results are compared to samples collected from historical guano deposits in Mammoth Cave National Park, which show substantially lower levels. Dates of historical samples have been provided from earlier studies

The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)

Larvae of thirty one species of antlions (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) belonging to eleven genera live in the protection of cave mouths or large rock overhangs in Australia. New taxa proposed here include the following three new genera: Australeon, Newleon, Speleon. The following twelve new species are described: Froggattisca kakadu; Froggattisca rennerensis; Newleon fragilis; Speleon cavernicolus; Speleon pilliga; Speleon yallingup; Stenoleon xanthopsis; Xantholeon cavernicolus; Xantholeon kakadu; Xantholeon newi; Xantholeon pallens; Xantholeon pentlandensis. Two cave species are transferred into a new genus becoming new combinations: Australeon illustris (Gerstaecker), Australeon manselli (New and Matsura). The small non-cave species previously placed in Stenoleon Tillyard are transferred to Bandidus Navás, becoming B. gradostriatus (New), B. copleyensis (New), B. grandithecus (New), and B. navasi (New), new combinations. All known species of six genera (Stenoleon Tillyard, Xantholeon Tillyard, Eophanes Banks and three new genera) are known only in cave mouths. Also, species of Heoclisis Navás, Froggattisca Esben Petersen, Glenoleon Banks, Heoclisis Navás and Myrmeleon Linnaeus contain species living in cave mouths. Two main types of caves are found in Australia; those with loose organic material and those with loose inorganic material. The cave habitat is divided into four zones and several subzones. Many species are restricted to one zone or another but species of Stenoleon may overlap zones. Discussions of the species and some of their biological requirements are provided. One new parasite record is given, an undetermined species of Echthrobacella Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) reared from the larvae of Speleon yallingup Miller and Stange. Diagnoses or descriptions are given for all of these cave species including distributional data. Keys to the cave mouth inhabiting antlions of Australia (adults and larvae) are provided including a revised key to the Xantholeon Tillyard.Se documentan treinta uno especies en once géneros de Myrmeleontidae que viven en las entradas de cuevas en Australia y representan mas especies que en cualquier otra parte del mundo. Se describen tres genéros nuevos, Australeon, Newleon, y Speleon y doce especies nuevas: Froggattisca kakadu; Froggattisca rennerensis; Newleon fragilis; Speleon cavernicolus; Speleon pilliga; Speleon yallingup; Stenoleon xanthopsis; Xantholeon cavernicolus; Xantholeon kakadu; Xantholeon newi; Xantholeon pallens y Xantholeon pentlandensis. Dos especies son transferidas en un nueva género resultando en dos combinaciones nuevas: Australeon illustris (Gerstaecker) y Australeon manselli (New and Matsura). Tambien, cuatro especies en el género Stenoleon Tillyard son transferidas al género Bandidus Navas, resultando en cuatro combinaciones nuevas: B. gradostriatus (New), B. copleyensis (New), B. grandithecus (New) y B. navasi (New). Hay dos tipos de cuevas en Australia, unas con detritus orgánicos y otras con detritus principalmente inorgánicas. En algunas cuevas existen cuatro principales zonas de habitación. Todas las especies de cinco géneros (Eophanes Banks, Stenoleon Tillyard, Xantholeon Banks y tres nuevos géneros) están restringidas a las cuevas. Se da un registro nuevo para un parásito, Echthrobacella Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) criada de Speleon yallingup Miller and Stange. Se presentan diagnoses o descripciones para todas las especies incluyendo datos sobre distribucion. Se presentan claves para los adultos y larvas de las especies que viven dentro de las cuevas en Australia, incyudendo una clave revisada del genero Xantholeon