Bats and thier natural role EMPOWER IAS"

In news:

• The COVID pandemic has magnified our fear of bats, but their conservation is crucial to prevent such events from arising again.

 

Bats

• Bats are the largest mammalian group after rodents, with over 1,300 species making up a quarter of all mammals.
• They occur on all continents except Antarctica and are particularly diverse in South Asia, with 114 species of insect-eating bats and 14 fruit bats, also known as “flying foxes”, occurring in India.
• They play a unique role in maintaining ecosystem structure, making a singular contribution to our food production, economy and well-being.

 

Diseases Linked to Bats

• All bats can carry viruses. Many high-profile epidemics have been traced to bats
  1. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) antibodies were found in insectivorous bats.
  2. Ebola antibodies were found in Hammer-headed fruit bat.
  3. Indian Flying Fox, hosts over 50 viruses.
  4. Rabies
• With around 1,200 species, bats comprise 20% of the earth’s mammalian diversity.
• Long periods of flying raises the temperatures of bats, boosting their immune responses and helps them survive the microbes’ pathogenic effects.

 

 

 

 

Significance

Seed dispersal

• About 29 per cent of all bats depend upon plants for food.
• The diet of fruit-eating bats consists largely of flowers and fruits such as mangoes, bananas, guavas, custard apples, figs, tamarind and many species of forest trees.
• Therefore, bats play a vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Studies have shown that seedlings raised from bat dispersed seeds show higher germination and vigorous growth.

 

Pollination

• Studies have found that bats play a vital role in pollination, mainly of large-flowered plants, and in crop protection.
• Fruit bats (Megachiroptera) being large, require big flowers with copious amounts of nectar.
• Bats are major pollinators for many species of mangroves which are important for coastal ecosystems and local livelihoods.

 

Production boost:

• Insects are a major problem for agriculture, destroying up to 26 per cent of the annual production of crops worldwide every year, roughly amounting to $470 billion.
• Insectivorous bats, which make up 70 per cent of all bat species, are voracious predators of nocturnal insects and crop pests.
• Some large insectivorous bats are also reported to feed on small rodents. Thus they contribute directly to enhancing the crop productivity with tremendous economic impact.

 

Soil Fertility

• Bats contribute significantly to soil fertility and nutrient distribution due to their large numbers, high mobility and varied habitats for roosting and foraging.
• Bat droppings provide organic input to soil and facilitate nutrient transfer, contributing to soil fertility and agricultural productivity. The practice is harmless vis-a-vis human health.

 

Health Benefits

• Several species of bats, in fact, contribute to human health by reducing populations of mosquitoes and other insect vectors that spread malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other diseases.
• It is reported that a small bat may feed on almost 5,000 mosquitoes each and every feeding night far more than other measures adopted to eliminate them.

 

Conservation:

• According to the IUCN, about 5 per cent of bats are categorised as endangered and another 11 per cent are data deficient.
• Further, some species of fruit bats are categorised under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1973, along with other vermin species like rats, making it difficult to legally conserve them.

 

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:

• It is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species.
• The Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species. It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection:
  • Schedule I and part II of Schedule II: They provide absolute protection i.e. offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
  • Schedule III and Schedule IV: Species listed in them are also protected, but the penalties are much lower.
  • Schedule V: It includes the animals which may be hunted.
  • Schedule VI: The specified endemic plants in this schedule are prohibited from cultivation and planting.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature

• IUCN is a membership union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations.
• Created in 1948, it is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
• It is headquartered in Switzerland.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
• It uses a set of quantitative criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of species. These criteria are relevant to most species and all regions of the world.
  • The IUCN Red List Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed. Nine categories extend from NE (Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct). Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction.
  • It is recognized as the most authoritative guide to the status of biological diversity.
  • It is also a key indicator for the SDGs and Aichi Targets.