Evaluation of the contribution of the cultivation of rambutan (Nephelium Lappaceum, L.) for the maintenance of the diversity of bats in the Botanical Garden and Lancetilla Research Center

Abstract

This research was carried out in the rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum, L.) plots of the Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center, located in the city of Tela, Department of Atlántida, Honduras. The objective was to evaluate the contribution of rambutan cultivation (Nephelium lappaceum, L.) for the maintenance of bat diversity. The captures were made using mist nets and the use of a Song Meter SM3 acoustic recorder and the SM3-U1 Ultrasonic Microphone. The results showed that with the use of these methods a total of 26 species of bats divided into 5 families were registered. Likewise, the specific biodiversity was measured through the Shannon Wiener index, from which a value of 1.99% was obtained, indicating that in terms of diversity, the rambutan cultivation areas are moderately diverse. Finally, it is concluded that the identified bat species represent ecological importance for the provision of ecosystem services as disseminators and pest controllers for tree species.