ESTRUTURA DE COMUNIDADE DE MORCEGOS EM RELICTOS DE FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL NO SUL DO BRASIL

Because of their being extremely specious, abundant and occupying the most diverse habitats and food resources, bats have been considered excellent models for diversity studies. This study aimed to describe the bat community structure in three sites in the Seasonal Deciduous Forest of the city of Frederico Westphalen, in northern Rio Grande do Sul state. From October 2005 to September 2006, each of the three sites received a monthly sampling effort of one night from dusk to dawn. In 36 nights of field work were obtained a total of 511 catches of 15 species of bats and three families. Vespertilionidae presented seven species, followed by six Phyllostomidae and Molossidae with two species. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no significant differences between sites. Sturnira lilium and Artibeus lituratus were the main species caught, with 52.4% and 34.4% relative abundance, respectively. Frugivorous species accounted for 90.5% of the total catch, followed by insectivores with 9.3% and carnivores with only 2%. There were no significant differences in community composition between months and even between the seasons, suggesting the absence of seasonal variations. The curves of accumulation and rarefaction of species indicate that with the continuing efforts the number of species continue to grow. The occurrence of species considered rare in southern Brazil reinforces the importance of forest fragments to maintain the diversity of the bat faunas.