Beyond borders: The role of protected areas in promoting bat-mediated pest suppression in rural areas of Madagascar

Abstract

Protected areas can play a crucial role in enhancing agricultural sustainability by supporting ecosystem services that mitigate key challenges faced by rural farming communities. In Madagascar, subsistence agriculture is a major driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss, worsened by pest-related agricultural and harvest losses. Insectivorous bats are widely known natural enemies of agricultural pests, but the role of protected areas in safeguarding this service in surrounding rural landscapes is unclear. This study investigates the benefits provided by insectivorous bats roosting within protected areas of northern Madagascar, focusing on their potential to suppress agricultural pests and disease vectors. We used molecular techniques to analyse the diet of bats based on faecal samples from several species and locations. We found that most bat species consumed arthropod pests affecting rice and other crops, as well as several vectors of pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals, such as mosquito vectors of Plasmodium sp. Given their mobility and home ranges, we suggest that certain bat species roosting in protected areas have the dispersal capacity to forage in nearby agricultural landscapes, contributing to pest suppression and disease risk reduction. Hence, protecting bat roosts within and around protected areas may offer a cost-effective means to enhance agricultural productivity and public health. These findings underscore the need to integrate ecosystem services into conservation and land-use management strategies, fostering sustainability and rural welfare in Madagascar.