About This Project
We will test whether the Peruvian long-tongued bat (Platalina genovensium) migrates between coastal lomas and Andean scrublands following seasonal cactus blooms, revealing if conserving this threatened pollinator requires protecting connected habitats across its annual cycle.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
When coastal Platalina numbers fall as cactus flowering declines, are the same individuals shifting to Andean scrublands in Lima, Peru, as later-blooming cacti become available during the same season?
What is the significance of this project?
Support for this hypothesis would reveal that coastal and Andean sites form one seasonal habitat system for the bat, redefining which habitats must be protected as mining and urbanization intensify.
What are the goals of the project?
We will track bats and cactus flowering for a year, mark individual bats, test natural sulfur signals, and identify the cacti they eat to determine if the same bats move seasonally between habitats.
Budget
The budget supports year-round fieldwork at the coastal and Andean sites, laboratory analyses of stable sulfur isotopes and diet, and the equipment and supplies needed to capture, mark, and sample bats. Together, these costs provide the complementary data needed to test whether bats move seasonally between habitats following cactus flowering.
Project Timeline
The project is designed to capture a full seasonal cycle of bat activity and cactus flowering across the coastal and Andean sites. Field monitoring, bat marking, and sample collection will occur throughout the year, followed by laboratory analyses and integration of the different lines of evidence to evaluate seasonal movement.
Jan 15, 2027
Begin field monitoring and sampling at Huaral (coastal site) and Acos (Andean site).
Jan 15, 2028
Complete one annual cycle of bat and cactus monitoring, bat marking, and biological sampling.
May 19, 2028
Complete laboratory analyses and integrate stable sulfur isotope results, diet data, bat abundance patterns, and cactus flowering patterns to evaluate seasonal movements.
Meet the Team
Juan J. Pellón
· Career Stage: PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
· Why I care about science: I care about science because it allows me to pursue my fascination with bat ecology, generate evidence to support their conservation, involve people directly in research through community science, and create opportunities for young researchers who share that passion.
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
Movement ecology, conservation biology, pollination ecology, stable isotope ecology, tropical ecology, ecological interactions.
Project Backers
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