Meola Vincenzo, Ekklisiarchos Ioannis, Cistrone Luca, Migliozzi Antonello, Russo Danilo
Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Portici Italy.
NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center Palermo Italy.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Aug 13;15(8):e71978. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71978. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Urbanisation alters landscapes and filters biodiversity, yet its effects in Mediterranean cities remain poorly understood despite their unique ecological and climatic context. As adaptable insectivores and key providers of ecosystem services, bats are an important component of urban biodiversity. We investigated how landscape composition, artificial illumination, and seasonality shape bat activity and species richness in Naples (Southern Italy), a densely inhabited Mediterranean metropolis. We hypothesized that: (1) artificial illumination would favor light-tolerant species; (2) urban areas would enhance bat activity through roosting and foraging opportunities; and (3) urban warming would reduce seasonal declines in activity. Passive ultrasonic recorders were deployed in summer and winter across 12 1 × 1 km cells spanning a gradient of green space size and fragmentation. We recorded seven species and one Myotis group, with communities dominated by synurbic taxa (, , ). Artificial illumination did not influence activity, and no species responded positively to light. Urban land cover and Mediterranean shrublands reduced both total activity and species richness, and the hypothesis that urbanization would enhance foraging opportunities for tolerant species was rejected. In contrast, urban natural parks increased bat activity and richness, favoring and , while preferred open rural areas but avoided intensively managed agricultural land. Seasonality emerged as the most consistent driver: bat activity and richness declined markedly in winter for all species, including presumed urban exploiters such as and . Even the mild Mediterranean climate and urban heat island effects did not eliminate strong seasonal patterns. Mediterranean cities act as environmental filters, supporting only a few tolerant species. Urban natural parks provide critical refugia and should be prioritized alongside habitat heterogeneity, reduced pesticide use, and light pollution mitigation. Despite urban warming, pronounced winter declines persist, highlighting the need for continued monitoring to detect climate-driven phenological shifts.
城市化改变了景观并筛选生物多样性，然而尽管地中海城市具有独特的生态和气候背景，但其影响仍知之甚少。作为适应性强的食虫动物和生态系统服务的关键提供者，蝙蝠是城市生物多样性的重要组成部分。我们调查了景观组成、人工照明和季节性如何塑造那不勒斯（意大利南部）——一个人口密集的地中海大都市——的蝙蝠活动和物种丰富度。我们假设：（1）人工照明会有利于耐光物种；（2）城市地区会通过栖息和觅食机会增强蝙蝠活动；（3）城市变暖会减少活动的季节性下降。在夏季和冬季，被动式超声波记录仪被部署在12个1×1公里的区域，这些区域跨越了绿地大小和破碎化的梯度。我们记录了7个物种和1个鼠耳蝠属类群，群落以城市共生类群为主（、、）。人工照明并未影响活动，且没有物种对光产生积极反应。城市土地覆盖和地中海灌木丛减少了总活动和物种丰富度，城市化会增加耐光物种觅食机会的假设被否定。相比之下，城市自然公园增加了蝙蝠活动和丰富度，有利于和，而更喜欢开阔的农村地区但避开集约化管理的农田。季节性是最一致的驱动因素：所有物种，包括像和这样假定的城市利用者，其活动和丰富度在冬季都显著下降。即使是温和的地中海气候和城市热岛效应也没有消除强烈的季节性模式。地中海城市起到了环境筛选的作用，只支持少数耐受力强的物种。城市自然公园提供了关键的避难所，应与栖息地异质性、减少农药使用和减轻光污染一起被优先考虑。尽管有城市变暖，但明显的冬季下降仍然存在，这凸显了持续监测以检测气候驱动的物候变化的必要性。
