Work

Economic value of the pest control service provided by Brazilian free-tailed bats in south-central Texas

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) form enormous summer breeding colonies, mostly in caves and under bridges, in south-central Texas and northern Mexico. Their prey includes several species of adult insects whose larvae are known to be important agricultural pests, including the corn earworm or cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa zea). We estimate the bats' value as pest control for cotton production in an eight-county region in south-central Texas. Our calculations show an annual value of $741 000 per year, with a range of $121 000–$1 725 000, compared to a $4.6–$6.4 million per year annual cotton harvest.

Source: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

DOI: 10.1890/1540-9295(2006)004[0238:evotpc]2.0.co;2

Authors: Cutler J. Cleveland, Margrit Betke, Paula Federico, Jeff D. Frank, Thomas G. Hallam, Jason Horn, Juan D. López, Gary F. McCracken, Rodrigo A. Medellín, Arnulfo Moreno-Valdez, Chris G. Sansone, John K. Westbrook, Thomas H. Kunz

Institutions: Boston University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Texas A&M University

Language: English

Topic: Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Bat Conservation International, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of California, Santa Barbara

Awards: Integrated Modeling and Assessment of Natural Populations Using Infrared and Doppler Radar Imaging, ITR: Advanced Imaging and Information Technology for Assessing the Ecological and Economic Impact of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats on Agroecosystems, CEAS: Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Collaborative Cross-Disciplinary Research in Ecology, Endocrinology, and Molecular Biology

OpenAlex ID: W2129607867

FWCI: 11.61

Cites: 15

Cited by: 421

Related to: 10