PROTOCOL FOR BAT CAPTURE USING MIST NETS IN THE RAPELD SAMPLING SYSTEM
Keywords:
Chiroptera, capture effort, diversity, environmental filter, environmental heterogeneity, standardizationAbstract
The data accumulated over the years by researchers are often difficult to handle in comparative studies due to differences in study designs and sampling efforts. Standardizing sampling methods allows comparisons between different locations and periods across a wide range of scales and environmental gradients, while also promoting researcher integration through data sharing. Our goal is to describe a bat capture protocol in RAPELD system plots, tested over decades of work, using ground-level mist nets that can be replicated by researchers in different Brazilian biomes. The minimum protocol consists of 10 mist nets, ideally measuring 10 × 3 meters each, installed along the central trail of each plot, alternating 10-meter segments. We suggest that each plot be sampled for at least four non-consecutive nights per year, with two nights during the rainy season and two nights during the dry season. We also propose adaptations to the protocol for specific cases related to equipment limitations and field conditions, while always maintaining a sampling effort of 100 meters of mist nets per plot per night. When defining sampling efforts, we also consider the challenges of capturing bats in remote locations with low infrastructure, as well as the proper processing and handling of captured bats and associated data. We also provide a list of equipment, describe some procedures adopted during captures, and suggest model spreadsheets for data and metadata