Network Science as a Framework for Bat Studies

Marco A. R. Mello and Renata L. Muylaert

In the past decades, bat ecology has developed considerably thanks to novel theoretical frameworks, as well as innovative tools for data collection and analysis. In this wind of change, network theory has become very useful to understand the complexity of the associations established by bats among themselves, with other organisms, and with their environment. We review how network science has been used to disentangle bats from the “web of life”, which main issues it is helping to solve, and how its application varies among studies including phyllostomids and other groups. We focus our discussion on the potential for using networks to study biological processes that shape bat systems of different kinds. Finally, we address new avenues for research, such as plant-animal interactions, movement ecology, and emerging diseases.