Changes in community composition and functional diversity of European bats under climate change

Climate change is predicted to drive geographical range shifts that will result in changes in species diversity and functional composition and have potential repercussions for ecosystem functioning. However, the effect of these changes on species composition and functional diversity (FD) remains unclear, especially for mammals, specifically bats. We used species distribution models and a comprehensive ecological and morphometrical trait database to estimate how projected future climate and land-use changes could influence the distribution, composition, and FD of the European bat community. Future bat assemblages were predicted to undergo substantial shifts in geographic range and trait structure. Range suitability decreased substantially in southern Europe and increased in northern latitudes. Our findings highlight the potential for climate change to drive shifts in bat FD, which has implications for ecosystem function and resilience at a continental scale. It is important to incorporate FD in conservation strategies. These efforts should target species with key functional traits predicted to be lost and areas expected to experience losses in FD. Conservation strategies should include habitat and roost protection, enhancing landscape connectivity, and international monitoring to preserve bat populations and their ecosystem services.

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Publication Details

Journal
Conservation Biology
Published
2025-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70025
Citations
24
Primary Topic
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
72.64

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article

Changes in community composition and functional diversity of European bats under climate change

Jean François Julien, Reed April McKay, Christian C. Voigt, Fulgencio Lisón et al.
24 citations
Conservation Biology
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
72.64
article

Changes in community composition and functional diversity of European bats under climate change

Jean François Julien, Reed April McKay, Christian C. Voigt, Fulgencio Lisón, Carlos Ibáñez, Panagiotis Georgiakakis, Jeroen van der Kooij, Stéphane Aulagnier, Jaan Liira, Adriana Vella, Orly Razgour, Viktoriia Radchuk, Iñazio Garin, Kendra L. Phelps, C. L. Mifsud, Xavier Puig‐Montserrat, Eeva‐Maria Tidenberg, Hibat-Ellah Loumassine, Kevin J. Olival, Александра Фигурек, Yves Bas, Marcel Uhrín, Joxerra Aihartza, Javier Juste, Luísa Rodrigues, Maja Zagmajster, Katrine Eldegard, Suren Gazaryan, Leonardo Ancillotto, Christian Kerbiriou, Oliver Kalda, Attila D. Sándor, Tarkan Yorulmaz, Gunārs Pētersons, István Csősz, Adi Domer, Szilárd‐Lehel Bücs, Peter Kaňuch, Rune Sørås, Lisette Cantú‐Salazar, Primož Presetnik, Roberto Novella‐Fernandez, Carmi Korine, Luciano Bosso, Nataša Čereković, Asaf Tsoar, Penelope C. Fialas, Daniela Hamidović, Damiano Preatoni, Ulla‐Maija Liukko, Adriano Martinoli, Emrah Çoraman, Luke Hamel, Csaba Jére, Marcin Zegarek, Fiona Mathews, Raşit Bilgin, Hugo Rebelo, Viesturs Vintulis, Ostaizka Aizpurua, Solène Robert, Levente Barti, Victoria Nistreanu, Nia Toshkova, Stephanie Kramer‐Schadt, Rahmi Dina, Torsten Stjernberg, Maria Mas, Francisco Marqués, Niamh Roche, Dalhoumi Ridha, Furmankiewicz Joanna, Josić Darija, Kipson Marina, Lesiński Grzegorz, Rnjak Goran, Ruczyński Ireneusz, Zrnčić Vida
article en
24 citations

Abstract

Climate change is predicted to drive geographical range shifts that will result in changes in species diversity and functional composition and have potential repercussions for ecosystem functioning. However, the effect of these changes on species composition and functional diversity (FD) remains unclear, especially for mammals, specifically bats. We used species distribution models and a comprehensive ecological and morphometrical trait database to estimate how projected future climate and land-use changes could influence the distribution, composition, and FD of the European bat community. Future bat assemblages were predicted to undergo substantial shifts in geographic range and trait structure. Range suitability decreased substantially in southern Europe and increased in northern latitudes. Our findings highlight the potential for climate change to drive shifts in bat FD, which has implications for ecosystem function and resilience at a continental scale. It is important to incorporate FD in conservation strategies. These efforts should target species with key functional traits predicted to be lost and areas expected to experience losses in FD. Conservation strategies should include habitat and roost protection, enhancing landscape connectivity, and international monitoring to preserve bat populations and their ecosystem services.

Conservation BiologyVol. 39(4)
University of Insubria (IT), Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LV), University of Copenhagen (DK), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Museum für Naturkunde (DE), University of Helsinki (FI), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Crete (GR), Ca' Foscari University of Venice (IT), University of Ljubljana (SI), University of Sussex (GB), University of the Basque Country (ES), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (PL), University of Concepción (CL), University of Banja Luka (BA), University of Carthage (TN), Universidade do Porto (PT), University of Malta (MT), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik (SK), Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca (RO), Charles University (CZ), University of Wrocław (PL), Çankırı Karatekin University (TR), University of Exeter (GB), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG), University of Würzburg (DE), Finnish Environment Institute (FI), Mammal Research Institute (PL), Moldova State University (MD), Sorbonne Université (FR), Institute of Forest Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Estación Biológica de Doñana (ES), Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (FR), Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (PT), Croatian Geological Survey (HR), Hospital General de Granollers (ES), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LU), Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (FR), Center za Kartografijo Favne in Flore (SI), Ministarstvo zaštite okoliša i zelene tranzicije (HR), Finnish Museum of Natural History (FI), National Museum of Natural History (BG), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (DE), National Research Council (IT), Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Istanbul Technical University (TR), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NO), EcoHealth Alliance (US), University of Tartu (EE), University of Naples Federico II (IT), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), University of Latvia (LV)
Natural Environment Research Council
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
72.64
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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