Abstract

Bats have varied feeding habits and have varied responses to habitat fragmentation and loss. In this study we analyzed the diversity and ecology of bat species in the understory of Parque Nacional do Caparaó, in the Atlantic Forest of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The captures were carried out from November 2011 to December 2013, with mist nets (9x3m), mounted at ground level, open at dusk and closed after six hours of exposure. A total of 288 individuals, six genera and seven species were captured. All species sampled belong to the Phyllostomidae family, in four subfamilies. Sternodematinae was the most abundant subfamily in the samples, representing 57% of the species and 76% of the specimens sampled. The composition of species diversity suggests that these disturbed fragments alter the dynamics of behavior and structure of these communities. Some bat species found in the PNC have an important association with the vertical stratum, making it evident that the structure and level of anthropization of the forest fragment is a factor that regulates the richness and abundance of bat species.

Keywords:Chiroptera; Atlantic forest; Species richness

Abbreviations:PNC-Caparao National Park; UEMG-State University of Minas Gerais