Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2011 Mar;1223:1-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06004.x.
Ecosystem services are the benefits obtained from the environment that increase human well-being. Economic valuation is conducted by measuring the human welfare gains or losses that result from changes in the provision of ecosystem services. Bats have long been postulated to play important roles in arthropod suppression, seed dispersal, and pollination; however, only recently have these ecosystem services begun to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we review the available literature on the ecological and economic impact of ecosystem services provided by bats. We describe dietary preferences, foraging behaviors, adaptations, and phylogenetic histories of insectivorous, frugivorous, and nectarivorous bats worldwide in the context of their respective ecosystem services. For each trophic ensemble, we discuss the consequences of these ecological interactions on both natural and agricultural systems. Throughout this review, we highlight the research needed to fully determine the ecosystem services in question. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of economic valuation of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, few studies estimating the economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats have been conducted to date; however, we outline a framework that could be used in future studies to more fully address this question. Consumptive goods provided by bats, such as food and guano, are often exchanged in markets where the market price indicates an economic value. Nonmarket valuation methods can be used to estimate the economic value of nonconsumptive services, including inputs to agricultural production and recreational activities. Information on the ecological and economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats can be used to inform decisions regarding where and when to protect or restore bat populations and associated habitats, as well as to improve public perception of bats.
生态系统服务是指从环境中获得的有益于人类福祉的效益。经济评估是通过衡量生态系统服务提供的变化所导致的人类福利的得失来进行的。蝙蝠长期以来被认为在控制节肢动物数量、传播种子和授粉方面发挥着重要作用；然而，直到最近，这些生态系统服务才开始得到彻底评估。在这里，我们回顾了有关蝙蝠提供的生态系统服务的生态和经济影响的现有文献。我们描述了全世界食虫、食果和食蜜蝙蝠的饮食偏好、觅食行为、适应和系统发育历史，以及它们各自的生态系统服务。对于每个营养层次，我们讨论了这些生态相互作用对自然和农业系统的影响。在整个综述中，我们强调了确定相关生态系统服务所需的研究。最后，我们提供了生态系统服务经济评估的综合概述。不幸的是，迄今为止，很少有研究估计蝙蝠提供的生态系统服务的经济价值；然而，我们概述了一个框架，可用于未来的研究，以更全面地解决这个问题。蝙蝠提供的消费商品，如食物和粪便，经常在市场上交易，市场价格表明其经济价值。非市场估值方法可用于估计非消费服务的经济价值，包括对农业生产和娱乐活动的投入。有关蝙蝠提供的生态系统服务的生态和经济价值的信息可用于指导关于在何处以及何时保护或恢复蝙蝠种群及其相关栖息地的决策，以及提高公众对蝙蝠的认识。
