This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Prof. Luciano Bosso
Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Biogeography
0 Conservation Biology
0 Ecology
0 Landscape Ecology
0 Remote Sensing

Fingerprints

Ecology
Spatial Ecology

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Perspective
Published: 21 July 2021 in Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bats show responses to anthropogenic stressors linked to changes in other ecosystem components such as insects, and as K-selected mammals, exhibit fast population declines. This speciose, widespread mammal group shows an impressive trophic diversity and provides key ecosystem services. For these and other reasons, bats might act as suitable bioindicators in many environmental contexts. However, few studies have explicitly tested this potential, and in some cases, stating that bats are useful bioindicators more closely resembles a slogan to support conservation than a well-grounded piece of scientific evidence. Here, we review the available information and highlight the limitations that arise in using bats as bioindicators. Based on the limited number of studies available, the use of bats as bioindicators is highly promising and warrants further investigation in specific contexts such as river quality, urbanisation, farming practices, forestry, bioaccumulation, and climate change. Whether bats may also serve as surrogate taxa remains a controversial yet highly interesting matter. Some limitations to using bats as bioindicators include taxonomical issues, sampling problems, difficulties in associating responses with specific stressors, and geographically biased or delayed responses. Overall, we urge the scientific community to test bat responses to specific stressors in selected ecosystem types and develop research networks to explore the geographic consistency of such responses. The high cost of sampling equipment (ultrasound detectors) is being greatly reduced by technological advances, and the legal obligation to monitor bat populations already existing in many countries such as those in the EU offers an important opportunity to accomplish two objectives (conservation and bioindication) with one action.

ACS Style

Danilo Russo; Valeria Salinas-Ramos; Luca Cistrone; Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto. Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? Biology 2021, 10, 693 .

AMA Style

Danilo Russo, Valeria Salinas-Ramos, Luca Cistrone, Sonia Smeraldo, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto. Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? Biology. 2021; 10 (8):693.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Danilo Russo; Valeria Salinas-Ramos; Luca Cistrone; Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto. 2021. "Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators?" Biology 10, no. 8: 693.

Journal article
Published: 19 April 2021 in Environmental Pollution
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive form of pollution largely affecting wildlife, from individual behaviour to community structure and dynamics. As nocturnal mammals, bats are often adversely affected by ALAN, yet some “light-opportunistic” species exploit it by hunting insects swarming near lights. Here we used two potentially competing pipistrelle species as models, Kuhl’s (Pipistrellus kuhlii) and common (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) pipistrelles, both known to forage in artificially illuminated areas. We set our study in a mountainous area of central Italy, where only recently did the two species become syntopic. We applied spatial modelling and radiotracking to contrast potential vs. actual environmental preferences by the two pipistrelles. Species distribution models and niche analysis showed a large interspecific niche overlap, including a preference for illuminated areas, presenting a potential competition scenario. Pipistrellus pipistrellus association with ALAN, however, was weakened by adding P. kuhlii as a biotic variable to the model. Radiotracking showed that the two species segregated habitats at a small spatial scale and that P. kuhlii used artificially illuminated sites much more frequently than P. pipistrellus, despite both species potentially being streetlamp foragers. We demonstrate that ALAN influences niche segregation between two potentially competing species, confirming its pervasive effects on species and community dynamics, and provide an example of how light pollution and species’ habitat preferences may weave a tapestry of complex ecological interactions.

ACS Style

Valeria B Salinas-Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Luca Cistrone; Chiara Nastasi; Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Víctor Sánchez Cordero; Danilo Russo. Artificial illumination influences niche segregation in bats. Environmental Pollution 2021, 284, 117187 .

AMA Style

Valeria B Salinas-Ramos, Leonardo Ancillotto, Luca Cistrone, Chiara Nastasi, Luciano Bosso, Sonia Smeraldo, Víctor Sánchez Cordero, Danilo Russo. Artificial illumination influences niche segregation in bats. Environmental Pollution. 2021; 284 ():117187.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria B Salinas-Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Luca Cistrone; Chiara Nastasi; Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Víctor Sánchez Cordero; Danilo Russo. 2021. "Artificial illumination influences niche segregation in bats." Environmental Pollution 284, no. : 117187.

Predictive review
Published: 18 March 2021 in Mammal Review
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Climate change is among the key anthropogenic factors affecting species’ distribution, with important consequences for conservation. However, little is known concerning the consequences of distributional changes on community‐level interactions, and responses by generalist species might have many ecological implications in terms of novel interactions with resident species. In this study, we applied Ecological Niche Models and niche analysis to three generalist bat species, Hypsugo savii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, and Pipistrellus pipistrellus, which share similar ecological traits and are sympatric in parts of their ranges. Our aims were to investigate how predicted climate change will affect species’ distribution and to analyse the degree of climatic niche overlap between the three species, in both the current and the future scenarios (2050 and 2070; Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5). Temperatures were the most important predictors influencing species’ range expansion in future. According to our models, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Hypsugo savii may expand their geographic ranges towards northern latitudes, whereas the geographic range of the less thermophilous Pipistrellus will shift northwards, resulting in it losing the southern portion in Europe. The already considerable degree of climatic niche overlap between the three species will increase further in future. On the basis of our findings, within the new areas potentially colonised by all three species in future, alterations in community‐level balance might occur, bringing about effects that are only partially predictable. In view of this, we highlight the need for further research and improved monitoring of bat communities in areas that are predicted to be particularly vulnerable to climate change.

ACS Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero; Suren Gazaryan; Danilo Russo. Generalists yet different: distributional responses to climate change may vary in opportunistic bat species sharing similar ecological traits. Mammal Review 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Sonia Smeraldo, Luciano Bosso, Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos, Leonardo Ancillotto, Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero, Suren Gazaryan, Danilo Russo. Generalists yet different: distributional responses to climate change may vary in opportunistic bat species sharing similar ecological traits. Mammal Review. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero; Suren Gazaryan; Danilo Russo. 2021. "Generalists yet different: distributional responses to climate change may vary in opportunistic bat species sharing similar ecological traits." Mammal Review , no. : 1.

Perspective
Published: 05 March 2021 in Pathogens
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bats are often unfairly depicted as the direct culprit in the current COVID-19 pandemic, yet the real causes of this and other zoonotic spillover events should be sought in the human impact on the environment, including the spread of domestic animals. Here, we discuss bat predation by cats as a phenomenon bringing about zoonotic risks and illustrate cases of observed, suspected or hypothesized pathogen transmission from bats to cats, certainly or likely following predation episodes. In addition to well-known cases of bat rabies, we review other diseases that affect humans and might eventually reach them through cats that prey on bats. We also examine the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, from domestic cats to bats, which, although unlikely, might generate a novel wildlife reservoir in these mammals, and identify research and management directions to achieve more effective risk assessment, mitigation or prevention. Overall, not only does bat killing by cats represent a potentially serious threat to biodiversity conservation, but it also bears zoonotic implications that can no longer be neglected.

ACS Style

Valeria Salinas-Ramos; Emiliano Mori; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats. Pathogens 2021, 10, 304 .

AMA Style

Valeria Salinas-Ramos, Emiliano Mori, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto, Danilo Russo. Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats. Pathogens. 2021; 10 (3):304.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria Salinas-Ramos; Emiliano Mori; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. 2021. "Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats." Pathogens 10, no. 3: 304.

Short communication
Published: 02 March 2021 in Mammalian Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Variation in body size is thought as one of the main responses to climate change, yet studies exploring the existence of this pattern are limited by the scarcity of long temporal datasets. Bats are promising candidates for the occurrence of climate-driven changes in body size because their life cycle is highly sensitive to ambient temperature. Although a reduction in body size would adaptively imply more efficient heat dissipation under a climate change scenario, dehydration caused by heatwaves would in fact be limited by a larger body size, so either responses may be predicted. An increasing body size over time might also be the consequence of a longer growth season secured by a warmer climate. On such bases, we tested the hypothesis that body size varied in the bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum from Italian populations between 1869 and 2005 by examining forearm length (FAL) in 78 spatially independent specimens, and found that FAL increased over that period. We also ruled out that body size varied over space in relation to latitude (as predicted by Bergmann’s rule) or insularity, besides confirming the occurrence of sexual dimorphism (females being larger than males). This study illustrates a rare example of an increasing body size trend in a mammal species measured over ca. a century and a half, potentially unveiling a response to environmental variation.

ACS Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos; Paolo Agnelli; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. Body size of Italian greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) increased over one century and a half: a response to climate change? Mammalian Biology 2021, 1 -5.

AMA Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos, Paolo Agnelli, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto, Danilo Russo. Body size of Italian greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) increased over one century and a half: a response to climate change? Mammalian Biology. 2021; ():1-5.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos; Paolo Agnelli; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. 2021. "Body size of Italian greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) increased over one century and a half: a response to climate change?" Mammalian Biology , no. : 1-5.

Journal article
Published: 30 December 2020 in Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Body size in animals commonly shows geographic and temporal variations that may depend upon several environmental drivers, including climatic conditions, productivity, geography and species interactions. The topic of body size trends across time has gained momentum in recent years since this has been proposed as a third universal response to climate change along with changes in distribution and phenology. However, disentangling the genuine effects of climate change from those of other environmental factors is often far from trivial. In this study, we tested a set of hypotheses concerning body size variation across time and space in Italian populations of a rhinolophid bat, the lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros. We examined forearm length (FAL) and cranial linear traits in a unique historical collection of this species covering years from 1869 to 2016, representing, to the best of our knowledge, the longest time series ever considered in a morphological assessment of a bat species. No temporal changes occurred, rejecting the hypotheses that body size varied in response to climate change or urbanization (light pollution). We found that FAL increased with latitude following a Bergmann’s rule trend, whereas the width of upper incisors, likely a diet-related trait, showed an opposite pattern which awaits explanation. We also confirmed that FAL is sexually dimorphic in this species and ruled out that insularity has any detectable effect on the linear traits we considered. This suggests that positive responses of body size to latitude do not mean per se that concurring temporal responses to climate change are also expected. Further investigations should explore the occurrence of these patterns over larger spatial scales and more species in order to detect the existence of general patterns across time and space.

ACS Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos; Paolo Agnelli; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Victor Manuel Sánchez-Cordero; Danilo Russo. Body Size Variation in Italian Lesser Horseshoe Bats Rhinolophus hipposideros over 147 Years: Exploring the Effects of Climate Change, Urbanization and Geography. Biology 2020, 10, 16 .

AMA Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos, Paolo Agnelli, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto, Victor Manuel Sánchez-Cordero, Danilo Russo. Body Size Variation in Italian Lesser Horseshoe Bats Rhinolophus hipposideros over 147 Years: Exploring the Effects of Climate Change, Urbanization and Geography. Biology. 2020; 10 (1):16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos; Paolo Agnelli; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Victor Manuel Sánchez-Cordero; Danilo Russo. 2020. "Body Size Variation in Italian Lesser Horseshoe Bats Rhinolophus hipposideros over 147 Years: Exploring the Effects of Climate Change, Urbanization and Geography." Biology 10, no. 1: 16.

Journal article
Published: 12 June 2020 in Forests
Reads 0
Downloads 0

During the glacial episodes of the Quaternary, European forests were restricted to small favourable spots, namely refugia, acting as biodiversity reservoirs. the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been considered as the main glacial refugia of trees in Europe. In this study, we estimate the composition of the last glacial forest in a coastal cave of the Cilento area (SW Italy) in seven time frames, spanning from the last Pleniglacial to the Late Glacial. Charcoal analyses were performed in seven archaeological layers. Furthermore, a paleoclimate modelling (Maxent) approach was used to complement the taxonomic identification of charcoal fragments to estimate the past potential distribution of tree species in Europe. Our results showed that the mesothermophilous forest survived in this region in the core of the Mediterranean basin during the Last Glacial Period (LGP, since ~36 ka cal BP), indicating that this area played an important role as a reservoir of woodland biodiversity. Here, Quercus pubescens was the most abundant component, followed by a wide variety of deciduous trees and Pinus nigra. Charcoal data also pointed at the crucial role of this coastal area, acting as a reservoir for warm temperate trees of genera Tilia, Carpinus and Sambucus, in LGP, in the Mediterranean region. Our modelling results showed that P. nigra might be the main candidate as a “Pinus sylvestris type” in the study site in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, we found that P. nigra might coexist with Q. pubescens in several European territories both currently and in the LGM. All models showed high levels of predictive performances. Our results highlight the advantage of combining different approaches such as charcoal analysis and ecological niche models to explore biogeographic questions about past and current forest distribution, with important implications to inform today’s forest management and conservation.

ACS Style

Gaetano Di Pasquale; Antonio Saracino; Luciano Bosso; Danilo Russo; Adriana Moroni; Giuliano Bonanomi; Emilia Allevato. Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling. Forests 2020, 11, 673 .

AMA Style

Gaetano Di Pasquale, Antonio Saracino, Luciano Bosso, Danilo Russo, Adriana Moroni, Giuliano Bonanomi, Emilia Allevato. Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling. Forests. 2020; 11 (6):673.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gaetano Di Pasquale; Antonio Saracino; Luciano Bosso; Danilo Russo; Adriana Moroni; Giuliano Bonanomi; Emilia Allevato. 2020. "Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling." Forests 11, no. 6: 673.

Review
Published: 02 June 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Biological invasions represent some of the most severe threats to local communities and ecosystems. Among invasive species, the vector-borne pathogen Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for a wide variety of plant diseases and has profound environmental, social and economic impacts. Once restricted to the Americas, it has recently invaded Europe, where multiple dramatic outbreaks have highlighted critical challenges for its management. Here, we review the most recent advances on the identification, distribution and management of X. fastidiosa and its insect vectors in Europe through genetic and spatial ecology methodologies. We underline the most important theoretical and technological gaps that remain to be bridged. Challenges and future research directions are discussed in the light of improving our understanding of this invasive species, its vectors and host–pathogen interactions. We highlight the need of including different, complimentary outlooks in integrated frameworks to substantially improve our knowledge on invasive processes and optimize resources allocation. We provide an overview of genetic, spatial ecology and integrated approaches that will aid successful and sustainable management of one of the most dangerous threats to European agriculture and ecosystems.

ACS Style

Francesca Raffini; Giorgio Bertorelle; Roberto Biello; Guido D’Urso; Danilo Russo; Luciano Bosso. From Nucleotides to Satellite Imagery: Approaches to Identify and Manage the Invasive Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and Its Insect Vectors in Europe. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4508 .

AMA Style

Francesca Raffini, Giorgio Bertorelle, Roberto Biello, Guido D’Urso, Danilo Russo, Luciano Bosso. From Nucleotides to Satellite Imagery: Approaches to Identify and Manage the Invasive Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and Its Insect Vectors in Europe. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4508.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Raffini; Giorgio Bertorelle; Roberto Biello; Guido D’Urso; Danilo Russo; Luciano Bosso. 2020. "From Nucleotides to Satellite Imagery: Approaches to Identify and Manage the Invasive Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and Its Insect Vectors in Europe." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4508.

Original research
Published: 29 April 2020 in Ecology and Evolution
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Because of the high risk of going unnoticed, cryptic species represent a major challenge to biodiversity assessments, and this is particularly true for taxa that include many such species, for example, bats. Long‐eared bats from the genus Plecotus comprise numerous cryptic species occurring in the Mediterranean Region and present complex phylogenetic relationships and often unclear distributions, particularly at the edge of their known ranges and on islands. Here, we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs), field surveys and molecular analyses to shed light on the presence of a cryptic long‐eared bat species from North Africa, Plecotus gaisleri, on the islands of the Sicily Channel, providing strong evidence that this species also occurs in Europe, at least on the islands of the Western Mediterranean Sea that act as a crossroad between the Old Continent and Africa. Species Distribution Models built using African records of P. gaisleri and projected to the Sicily Channel Islands showed that all these islands are potentially suitable for the species. Molecular identification of Plecotus captured on Pantelleria, and recent data from Malta and Gozo, confirmed the species' presence on two of the islands in question. Besides confirming that P. gaisleri occurs on Pantelleria, haplotype network reconstructions highlighted moderate structuring between insular and continental populations of this species. Our results remark the role of Italy as a bat diversity hotspot in the Mediterranean and also highlight the need to include P. gaisleri in European faunal checklists and conservation directives, confirming the usefulness of combining different approaches to explore the presence of cryptic species outside their known ranges—a fundamental step to informing conservation.

ACS Style

Leonardo Ancillotto; Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Emiliano Mori; Giuseppe Mazza; Matthias Herkt; Andrea Galimberti; Fausto Ramazzotti; Danilo Russo. An African bat in Europe, Plecotus gaisleri : Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular taxonomy and Species Distribution Models. Ecology and Evolution 2020, 10, 5785 -5800.

AMA Style

Leonardo Ancillotto, Luciano Bosso, Sonia Smeraldo, Emiliano Mori, Giuseppe Mazza, Matthias Herkt, Andrea Galimberti, Fausto Ramazzotti, Danilo Russo. An African bat in Europe, Plecotus gaisleri : Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular taxonomy and Species Distribution Models. Ecology and Evolution. 2020; 10 (12):5785-5800.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leonardo Ancillotto; Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Emiliano Mori; Giuseppe Mazza; Matthias Herkt; Andrea Galimberti; Fausto Ramazzotti; Danilo Russo. 2020. "An African bat in Europe, Plecotus gaisleri : Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular taxonomy and Species Distribution Models." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 12: 5785-5800.

Original paper
Published: 10 March 2020 in Biodiversity and Conservation
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Recent growth of investments in wind energy and power industries has increased concerns about the associated adverse impacts on wildlife. In particular, flying vertebrates are especially at risk, both directly, through an extra mortality rate due to collision with turbines and electrocution, and indirectly through habitat loss or fragmentation. In this study, we propose a modelling approach that combines species distribution models and data managed in geographic information systems to predict and quantify the effects of wind turbines and power lines on the breeding habitat of a soaring migratory bird, the black stork Ciconia nigra, in Italy. The species is recolonizing the country, where it had been driven to extinction in the Middle Age by human persecution. Today, infrastructures such as those considered in our study might in fact hamper this recolonization. Our results show a high probability of presence of the species in several areas in Italy. The most important variables in influencing habitat suitability for C. nigra are the mean temperature of May followed by the distance from urban areas, inland wetlands and hydrographic network. Exposure to wind turbine collision and electrocution resulted to be potentially high. In particular, in Northern Italy the main potential risk of mortality for C. nigra is posed by power lines, whereas in southern regions the species might be mostly threatened by wind turbines. Our approach makes it possible to detect suitable areas that, although not yet colonized by the species, would imply a high mortality risk should the species colonize them in the future. The tool we provide may therefore prove useful to conservationists and landscape planners in order to mitigate the impact of human infrastructures on this species and encourage a more sustainable planning.

ACS Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Maurizio Fraissinet; Lucio Bordignon; Massimo Brunelli; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. Modelling risks posed by wind turbines and power lines to soaring birds: the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Italy as a case study. Biodiversity and Conservation 2020, 29, 1959 -1976.

AMA Style

Sonia Smeraldo, Luciano Bosso, Maurizio Fraissinet, Lucio Bordignon, Massimo Brunelli, Leonardo Ancillotto, Danilo Russo. Modelling risks posed by wind turbines and power lines to soaring birds: the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Italy as a case study. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2020; 29 (6):1959-1976.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Luciano Bosso; Maurizio Fraissinet; Lucio Bordignon; Massimo Brunelli; Leonardo Ancillotto; Danilo Russo. 2020. "Modelling risks posed by wind turbines and power lines to soaring birds: the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Italy as a case study." Biodiversity and Conservation 29, no. 6: 1959-1976.

Review
Published: 04 March 2020 in Mammal Review
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Invasive alien species are major drivers of global change that can have severe impacts on biodiversity and human well‐being. Management strategies implemented to mitigate these impacts are based on a hierarchical approach, from prevention of invasion, via early warning and rapid response, to invasive species management. We evaluated how different classes of spatially explicit models have been used as predictive tools to improve the effectiveness of management strategies. A review of literature published between 2000 and 2019 was undertaken to retrieve studies addressing alien mammal species through these models. We collected 62 studies, dealing with 70 (27%) of the 261 mammal species that are considered to be introduced worldwide. Most of the studies dealt with species from the orders Rodentia (34%), Artiodactyla and Carnivora (both 24%); the most commonly studied families were Sciuridae (13%) and Muridae (12%). Most of the studies (73%) provided spatial predictions of potential species spread, while only ca. 15% of the studies included evaluations of management options. About 29% of the studies were considered useful in risk assessment procedures, but only because they presented climatic suitability predictions worldwide, while studies modelling suitability before a species was introduced locally are still lacking for mammals. With some exceptions, spatially explicit population models are still little used, probably because of the perceived need for detailed information on life history parameters. Spatially explicit models have been used in relatively few studies dealing with invasive mammals, and most of them covered a restricted pool of species. Most of the studies used climate matching to evaluate the suitability of geographic areas worldwide or the possibility of species that were already established spreading further. Modelling procedures could be a useful tool to assess the risk of establishment for species not yet present in an area but likely to arrive; however, such studies are lacking for mammals.

ACS Style

Sandro Bertolino; Chiara Sciandra; Luciano Bosso; Danilo Russo; Peter W.W. Lurz; Mirko Di Febbraro. Spatially explicit models as tools for implementing effective management strategies for invasive alien mammals. Mammal Review 2020, 50, 187 -199.

AMA Style

Sandro Bertolino, Chiara Sciandra, Luciano Bosso, Danilo Russo, Peter W.W. Lurz, Mirko Di Febbraro. Spatially explicit models as tools for implementing effective management strategies for invasive alien mammals. Mammal Review. 2020; 50 (2):187-199.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sandro Bertolino; Chiara Sciandra; Luciano Bosso; Danilo Russo; Peter W.W. Lurz; Mirko Di Febbraro. 2020. "Spatially explicit models as tools for implementing effective management strategies for invasive alien mammals." Mammal Review 50, no. 2: 187-199.

Review
Published: 05 December 2019 in Mammal Review
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Interspecific competition (IC) is often seen as a main driver of evolutionary patterns and community structure. Bats might compete for key resources, and cases of exaggerated divergence of resource‐related characters or trait overdispersion in bat assemblages are often explained in terms of current or past interspecific competition. However, other pressures leading to patterns that mimic the outcome of competition cannot always be ruled out. We present the state of knowledge on IC among bats, providing a critical evaluation of the information available and identifying open questions and challenges. We reviewed 100 documents addressing potential or actual IC in bats and categorised them in terms of the resource for which bats compete (food, foraging habitat, roosts, water, and acoustic space). We also examined the ecomorphological and behavioural traits considered therein to highlight responses to IC or niche partitioning. We found that: although resources should be limiting in order for competition to occur, this is seldom tested; sympatry is sometimes taken as synonymous of syntopy (yet sympatric species that are not syntopic will never experience competition); comparisons between sympatry and allopatry are rare; and testing of objective criteria exploring the existence of niche partitioning or character displacement is not commonly adopted. While morphological examination of food remains in droppings has often led to coarse‐grained analysis that proved insufficient to establish the occurrence of food niche overlap or partitioning, new frontiers are being opened by state‐of‐the‐art molecular dietary analysis. A better understanding of IC in bats is paramount, since distributional changes leading to novel bat assemblages driven by climate change are already taking place, and the dramatic decline in insect availability, as well as the global loss or alteration of foraging habitat, may generate new competitive interactions or exacerbate existing interactions in the Anthropocene, and into the future.

ACS Style

Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Luciano Bosso; Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero; Danilo Russo. Interspecific competition in bats: state of knowledge and research challenges. Mammal Review 2019, 50, 68 -81.

AMA Style

Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos, Leonardo Ancillotto, Luciano Bosso, Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero, Danilo Russo. Interspecific competition in bats: state of knowledge and research challenges. Mammal Review. 2019; 50 (1):68-81.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos; Leonardo Ancillotto; Luciano Bosso; Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero; Danilo Russo. 2019. "Interspecific competition in bats: state of knowledge and research challenges." Mammal Review 50, no. 1: 68-81.

Journal article
Published: 02 July 2019 in Landscape and Urban Planning
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Ponds have an important role in the ecology of urban areas, as they provide essential habitats to aquatic species, as well as fundamental resources to terrestrial wildlife. Artificial water sites such as urban ponds provide foraging and drinking resources to synurbic wildlife, among which bats stand out as an important group. Availability of water sources may thus strongly influence the persistence of animal populations in urban habitats. Pond characteristics, as well as landscape structural patterns in the surrounding area, may modulate the use of such water sites by bats. We investigated bat species richness and activity levels in a pond archipelago within the city of Rome, one of the largest urban areas in Italy. We hypothesized that the presence of woody vegetation and hedgerows affects activity rates over ponds and that bat responses to habitat and landscape structures as well as artificial illumination are species-specific. Bat species richness was mainly influenced by the availability of wooded vegetation within 1000 m around ponds, with minor effects of the amount of bank habitat, while bat activity was affected by different habitat features in a species-specific way. All species responded positively to pond proximity to linear landscape elements such as hedgerows and to the amount of bank habitat. The presence of natural banks, the amount of woodland and that of open green areas positively influenced the activity of different species at different scales, while distances between ponds and artificial lights had a species-specific effect direction. Our results highlight the importance of key factors characterizing ponds and the surrounding habitat in urban landscapes whose appropriate management may improve the viability of synurbic bat populations.

ACS Style

L. Ancillotto; L. Bosso; V.B. Salinas-Ramos; D. Russo. The importance of ponds for the conservation of bats in urban landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning 2019, 190, 103607 .

AMA Style

L. Ancillotto, L. Bosso, V.B. Salinas-Ramos, D. Russo. The importance of ponds for the conservation of bats in urban landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2019; 190 ():103607.

Chicago/Turabian Style

L. Ancillotto; L. Bosso; V.B. Salinas-Ramos; D. Russo. 2019. "The importance of ponds for the conservation of bats in urban landscapes." Landscape and Urban Planning 190, no. : 103607.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2018 in Behavioural Processes
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Human-induced alterations often lead to changes in the geographical range of plants and animals. While modelling exercises may contribute to understanding such dynamics at large spatial scales, they rarely offer insights into the mechanisms that prompt the process at a local scale. Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii) is a vespertilionid bat widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. The species' recent range expansion towards northeastern Europe is thought to be induced by urbanization, yet no study actually tested this hypothesis, and climate change is a potential alternative driver. In this radio-telemetry study, set in the Vesuvius National Park (Campania region, Southern Italy) we provide insights into the species' thermal physiology and foraging ecology and investigate their relationships with potential large-scale responses to climate, and land use changes. Specifically, we test whether H. savii i) exploits urbanisation through a selection of urban areas for roosting and foraging, and ii) tolerates heatwaves (a proxy for thermophily) through a plastic use of thermoregulation. Tolerance to heatwaves would be consistent with the observation that the species' geographic range is not shifting but expanding northwards. Tracked bats roosted mainly in buildings but avoided urban habitats while foraging, actively selecting non-intensive farmland and natural wooded areas. Hypsugo savii showed tolerance to heat, reaching the highest body temperature ever recorded for a free-ranging bat (46.5 °C), and performing long periods of overheating. We conclude that H. savii is not a strictly synurbic species because it exploits urban areas mainly for roosting, and avoids them for foraging: this questions the role of synurbization as a range expansion driver. On the other hand, the species' extreme heat tolerance and plastic thermoregulatory behaviour represent winning traits to cope with heatwaves typical of climate change-related weather fluctuations.

ACS Style

Leonardo Ancillotto; Ivana Budinski; Valentina Nardone; Ivy Di Salvo; Martina Della Corte; Luciano Bosso; Paola Conti; Danilo Russo. What is driving range expansion in a common bat? Hints from thermoregulation and habitat selection. Behavioural Processes 2018, 157, 540 -546.

AMA Style

Leonardo Ancillotto, Ivana Budinski, Valentina Nardone, Ivy Di Salvo, Martina Della Corte, Luciano Bosso, Paola Conti, Danilo Russo. What is driving range expansion in a common bat? Hints from thermoregulation and habitat selection. Behavioural Processes. 2018; 157 ():540-546.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leonardo Ancillotto; Ivana Budinski; Valentina Nardone; Ivy Di Salvo; Martina Della Corte; Luciano Bosso; Paola Conti; Danilo Russo. 2018. "What is driving range expansion in a common bat? Hints from thermoregulation and habitat selection." Behavioural Processes 157, no. : 540-546.

Review article
Published: 02 August 2018 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bats are major consumers of arthropods, and there is ever growing evidence that they play a pivotal role in the fight against agricultural pests. However, relatively little research has addressed explicitly this important topic, and studies in temperate regions (especially European case studies) are infrequent. In the last few years, state-of-art molecular methods to identify prey remains in droppings and new experimental approaches to assess the actual magnitude of this ecosystem service have opened new perspectives in research. In this review, we discuss such aspects with an emphasis on temperate regions, and identify new research frontiers. These comprise: (1) detecting new bat species that consume pests, and further pest insects that bats might eat; (2) exploring sublethal effects of bat echolocation calls on tympanate moth pests; (3) getting a better understanding of bat predation over blood-sucking arthropods that parasitize livestock; (4) unveiling indirect effects of bat predation on plant pathogens; (5) implementing models to map the occurrence of bat insectivory and the potential to promote it; and (6) analyse bat droppings for active surveillance of arthropod pests and the diseases they carry. We also highlight that so-called “common” bat species, often neglected in conservation actions, are likely to provide the bulk of pest suppression in agroecosystems. All such aspects merit investigation and may lead to novel management practices aimed at conjugating bat conservation with economic and social sustainability of farming.

ACS Style

Danilo Russo; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto. Novel perspectives on bat insectivory highlight the value of this ecosystem service in farmland: Research frontiers and management implications. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2018, 266, 31 -38.

AMA Style

Danilo Russo, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto. Novel perspectives on bat insectivory highlight the value of this ecosystem service in farmland: Research frontiers and management implications. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2018; 266 ():31-38.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Danilo Russo; Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto. 2018. "Novel perspectives on bat insectivory highlight the value of this ecosystem service in farmland: Research frontiers and management implications." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 266, no. : 31-38.

Original paper
Published: 13 April 2018 in Biodiversity and Conservation
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Phenology is a key feature in the description of species niches to capture seasonality in resource use and climate requirements. Species distribution models (SDMs) are widespread tools to evaluate a species’ potential distribution and identify its large-scale habitat preferences. Despite its chief importance, data phenology is often neglected in SDM development. Non-migratory bats of temperate regions are good model species to test the effect of data seasonality on SDM outputs because of their different roosting preferences between hibernation and reproduction. We hypothesized that (1) the output of SDMs developed for six non-migratory European bat species will differ between hibernation and reproduction; (2) models built from datasets encompassing both ecological stages will perform better than seasonal models. We employed a dataset of 470 independent occurrences of bat hibernacula and 400 independent records of nursery roosts of selected species and for each species we developed separate winter, summer and mixed (i.e. generated from both winter and summer occurrences) models. Seasonal and mixed potential ranges differed from each other and the direction of this difference was species-specific. Mixed models outperformed seasonal models in representing species niches. Our work highlights the importance of considering data seasonality in the development of SDMs for bats as well as many other organisms, including non-migratory species, otherwise the analysis will lead to significant biases whose consequences for conservation planning and landscape management may be detrimental.

ACS Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Mirko Di Febbraro; Luciano Bosso; Carles Flaquer; David Guixé; Fulgencio Lisón; Angelika Meschede; Javier Juste; Julia Prüger; Xavier Puig-Montserrat; Danilo Russo. Ignoring seasonal changes in the ecological niche of non-migratory species may lead to biases in potential distribution models: lessons from bats. Biodiversity and Conservation 2018, 27, 2425 -2441.

AMA Style

Sonia Smeraldo, Mirko Di Febbraro, Luciano Bosso, Carles Flaquer, David Guixé, Fulgencio Lisón, Angelika Meschede, Javier Juste, Julia Prüger, Xavier Puig-Montserrat, Danilo Russo. Ignoring seasonal changes in the ecological niche of non-migratory species may lead to biases in potential distribution models: lessons from bats. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2018; 27 (9):2425-2441.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sonia Smeraldo; Mirko Di Febbraro; Luciano Bosso; Carles Flaquer; David Guixé; Fulgencio Lisón; Angelika Meschede; Javier Juste; Julia Prüger; Xavier Puig-Montserrat; Danilo Russo. 2018. "Ignoring seasonal changes in the ecological niche of non-migratory species may lead to biases in potential distribution models: lessons from bats." Biodiversity and Conservation 27, no. 9: 2425-2441.

Research article
Published: 01 January 2018 in International Journal of Wildland Fire
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Fire is a major disturbance that affects ecological communities, and when fire events increase in frequency or extent, they may jeopardise biodiversity. Although long-term studies are irreplaceable to understand how biological communities respond to wildfires, a rapid, efficient assessment of the consequences of wildfire is paramount to inform habitat management and restoration. Although Species Distribution Models (SDMs) may be applied to achieve this goal, they have not yet been used in that way. In summer 2017, during an extended drought that affected Italy, a severe wildfire occurred in the Vesuvius National Park (southern Italy). We applied SDMs to assess how much potential habitat was lost by the 12 bat species occurring in the area because of the wildfire, and whether habitat fragmentation increased following the event. Our analysis supported the hypotheses we tested (i.e. that the fire event potentially affected all species through habitat reduction and fragmentation) and that the bat species potentially most affected were those adapted to foraging in cluttered habitat (forest). We show that SDMs are a valuable tool for a first, rapid assessment of the effects of large-scale wildfires, and that they may help identify the areas that need to be monitored for animal activity and phenology, and to assist in saving human and financial resources.

ACS Style

Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Sonia Smeraldo; Sara D'arco; Antonello Migliozzi; Paola Conti; Danilo Russo. Loss of potential bat habitat following a severe wildfire: a model-based rapid assessment. International Journal of Wildland Fire 2018, 27, 756 .

AMA Style

Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto, Sonia Smeraldo, Sara D'arco, Antonello Migliozzi, Paola Conti, Danilo Russo. Loss of potential bat habitat following a severe wildfire: a model-based rapid assessment. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 2018; 27 (11):756.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luciano Bosso; Leonardo Ancillotto; Sonia Smeraldo; Sara D'arco; Antonello Migliozzi; Paola Conti; Danilo Russo. 2018. "Loss of potential bat habitat following a severe wildfire: a model-based rapid assessment." International Journal of Wildland Fire 27, no. 11: 756.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Mammalian Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Valentina Nardone; Luciano Bosso; Martina Della Corte; Martina Sasso; Andrea Galimberti; Antonia Bruno; Maurizio Casiraghi; Danilo Russo. Native red foxes depredate nests of alien pond sliders: Evidence from molecular detection of prey in scats. Mammalian Biology 2018, 88, 72 -74.

AMA Style

Valentina Nardone, Luciano Bosso, Martina Della Corte, Martina Sasso, Andrea Galimberti, Antonia Bruno, Maurizio Casiraghi, Danilo Russo. Native red foxes depredate nests of alien pond sliders: Evidence from molecular detection of prey in scats. Mammalian Biology. 2018; 88 ():72-74.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valentina Nardone; Luciano Bosso; Martina Della Corte; Martina Sasso; Andrea Galimberti; Antonia Bruno; Maurizio Casiraghi; Danilo Russo. 2018. "Native red foxes depredate nests of alien pond sliders: Evidence from molecular detection of prey in scats." Mammalian Biology 88, no. : 72-74.

Research article
Published: 09 November 2017 in PLOS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Habitat suitability models are useful to understand species distribution and to guide management and conservation strategies. The grey wolf (Canis lupus) has been extirpated from most of its historic range in Pakistan primarily due to its impact on livestock and livelihoods. We used non-invasive survey data from camera traps and genetic sampling to develop a habitat suitability model for C. lupus in northern Pakistan and to explore the extent of connectivity among populations. We detected suitable habitat of grey wolf using a maximum entropy approach (Maxent ver. 3.4.0) and identified suitable movement corridors using the Circuitscape 4.0 tool. Our model showed high levels of predictive performances, as seen from the values of area under curve (0.971±0.002) and true skill statistics (0.886±0.021). The main predictors for habitat suitability for C. lupus were distances to road, mean temperature of the wettest quarter and distance to river. The model predicted ca. 23,129 km2 of suitable areas for wolf in Pakistan, with much of suitable habitat in remote and inaccessible areas that appeared to be well connected through vulnerable movement corridors. These movement corridors suggest that potentially the wolf range can expand in Pakistan’s Northern Areas. However, managing protected areas with stringent restrictions is challenging in northern Pakistan, in part due to heavy dependence of people on natural resources. The habitat suitability map provided by this study can inform future management strategies by helping authorities to identify key conservation areas.

ACS Style

Muhammad Kabir; Shoaib Hameed; Hussain Ali; Luciano Bosso; Jaffar Ud Din; Richard Bischof; Steve Redpath; Muhammad Ali Nawaz. Habitat suitability and movement corridors of grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Northern Pakistan. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0187027 .

AMA Style

Muhammad Kabir, Shoaib Hameed, Hussain Ali, Luciano Bosso, Jaffar Ud Din, Richard Bischof, Steve Redpath, Muhammad Ali Nawaz. Habitat suitability and movement corridors of grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Northern Pakistan. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (11):e0187027.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Kabir; Shoaib Hameed; Hussain Ali; Luciano Bosso; Jaffar Ud Din; Richard Bischof; Steve Redpath; Muhammad Ali Nawaz. 2017. "Habitat suitability and movement corridors of grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Northern Pakistan." PLOS ONE 12, no. 11: e0187027.

Journal article
Published: 30 October 2017 in Ecological Entomology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

1. Natura 2000 network (N2000) and national protected areas (NPAs) are recognised as the most important core ‘units’ for biological conservation in Europe. 2. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed to detect the potential distribution of the rare and threatened cerambycid beetle Rosalia alpina L. in Europe, and the amount of suitable habitat within the N2000 network [special areas of conservation (SACs) and special protection areas (SPAs)], NPAs (e.g. national parks, regional parks, state reserves, natural monuments and protected landscapes) and the overall European protected area network (EPAN) (N2000 + NPAs) was quantified. 3. According to this analysis, the suitable habitat for R. alpina in Europe amounts to c. 754 171 km2 and stretches across substantially uninterrupted areas from Portugal to Romania (west to east) and from Greece to Germany (south to north). The overlay between the existing system of conservation areas in Europe (N2000 and NPAs) and the binary map for R. alpina showed that only c. 42% of potential habitat is protected. SACs and SPAs protect c. 25% and 21% of potential habitat, respectively. However, because the two site types often spatially overlap, when taken together the entire N2000 network protects c. 31% of potential habitat. Instead, NPAs offer a degree of protection of c. 29%. Overall, almost 60% of the area potentially suitable for the species is unprotected by the EPAN, an aspect that should be considered carefully when planning the conservation of this beetle at a large scale. 4. These results may also help to focus field surveys in selected areas where greater chances of success are encountered to save resources and increase survey effectiveness.

ACS Style

Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Pierpaolo Rapuzzi; Gianfranco Sama; Antonio Pietro Garonna; Danilo Russo. Nature protection areas of Europe are insufficient to preserve the threatened beetleRosalia alpina(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): evidence from species distribution models and conservation gap analysis. Ecological Entomology 2017, 43, 192 -203.

AMA Style

Luciano Bosso, Sonia Smeraldo, Pierpaolo Rapuzzi, Gianfranco Sama, Antonio Pietro Garonna, Danilo Russo. Nature protection areas of Europe are insufficient to preserve the threatened beetleRosalia alpina(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): evidence from species distribution models and conservation gap analysis. Ecological Entomology. 2017; 43 (2):192-203.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luciano Bosso; Sonia Smeraldo; Pierpaolo Rapuzzi; Gianfranco Sama; Antonio Pietro Garonna; Danilo Russo. 2017. "Nature protection areas of Europe are insufficient to preserve the threatened beetleRosalia alpina(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): evidence from species distribution models and conservation gap analysis." Ecological Entomology 43, no. 2: 192-203.