Microclimatic conditions and bat roosting activities in Puting Bato Cave 3-4, Burdeos, Polillo Island, Quezon Province

Date

4-2014

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Major Course

Major in Wildlife Biology

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Phillip A. Alviola

Abstract

The relationship of bat roosting activities and microclimatic conditions were characterized in Puting Bato Cave 3-4, Polillo Islands last May and November 2013. Bats were caught outside the cave while inside the cave, population size, vocalization, and short flights were observed. For microclimate,temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were measured in both outside and inside cave environment. Four hundred eleven bats representing 10 species were caught in Puting Bato Cave 3-4. Three species are new records in Polillo Island: H. coronatus, H. pygmaeus, and R. philippinensis. Bats tend to cluster only at specific areas inside the cave. Intensity of bat vocalization inside the cave tends to vary depending on the population size, time of the day and on the presence of predator. On the other hand, frequency of short flights varied through time and bat population. During the dry season, the mean temperature inside the cave was lower compared to the mean temperature outside while during the wet season, mean temperature inside the cave was warmer compared to the mean temperature outside. On the other hand, the mean relative humidity inside the cave was higher in contrast with the outside environment for both dry and wet seasons. For both seasons, temperature and relative humidity had higher variability outside the cave. Using correlation analysis, it was found out that the outside climate has a strong positive relationship with the climate inside the cave. Besides the local climate, other influences for the variation in microclimate included area, wind speed and bat presence. It was also found out that bat body temperature were higher relative to the ambient temperature of the cave, which results to body heat loss. Areas with large populations had higher temperature than areas with low populations. Bats exhibit different activities such as clustering, shivering and highly sustained foraging to mitigate the heat loss they experience. This is the first study regarding cave microclimate not only in the Philippines but probably in the whole Southeast Asia as well.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2014 /B4 A74

Document Type

Thesis

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