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Insectivorous bats provide significant economic value to the Australian cotton industry

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  • Kolkert, Heidi
  • Smith, Rhiannon
  • Rader, Romina
  • Reid, Nick

Abstract

Insectivorous bats exert top-down pressure on pest insect populations in agricultural systems globally. However, few economic estimates exist of their value as pest control agents in many high value crops. We calculated the economic benefit of direct predation of insect pests by bats and the damage averted to cotton yield, a high value commodity crop in Australia. Using a combination of bat dietary studies, average daily energy requirements (estimated by field metabolic rate), prey energy content and acoustic data of bat feeding attempts in cotton crops, we show the direct value of insectivorous bats to the Australian cotton industry is likely between $99–126 ha−1 in dryland Bt-cotton and $286–361 ha−1 in irrigated Bt-cotton through the consumption of pest moth Helicoverpa armigera, amounting to $63.6 million annually. We estimate that a population of bats can remove between 77–119 t of moths from Australian cotton crops in an average year across the growing season. However, different bat species consume different insect pests, highlighting the need to conserve bat diversity in agroecosystems. These results provide further incentive for growers to manage non-crop bat roosting habitat to benefit from natural pest control in crops.

Suggested Citation

  • Kolkert, Heidi & Smith, Rhiannon & Rader, Romina & Reid, Nick, 2021. "Insectivorous bats provide significant economic value to the Australian cotton industry," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:49:y:2021:i:c:s2212041621000383
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101280
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Taylor, Peter John & Grass, Ingo & Alberts, Andries J. & Joubert, Elsje & Tscharntke, Teja, 2018. "Economic value of bat predation services – A review and new estimates from macadamia orchards," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(PC), pages 372-381.
    2. David S. Jacobs & John M. Ratcliffe & James H. Fullard, 2008. "Beware of bats, beware of birds: the auditory responses of eared moths to bat and bird predation," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 19(6), pages 1333-1342.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ma, Binfeng & Wang, Xiaofang, 2023. "How does green floating bond and financial sector readiness promote green economic growth evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    2. Carmi Korine & Yuval Cohen & Idan Kahnonitch, 2022. "Insect Pest Pheromone Lures May Enhance the Activity of Insectivorous Bats in Mediterranean Vineyards and Apple Orchards," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-12, December.

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