BATS AND SPECIAL LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS

The value of agroforestry systems for bats also depends on the balance between open cultivated areas and green “arteries”, i.e. non-cultivated land with trees. The preservation and enrichment of landscape diversity with old and mature trees, but also with open spaces is important for bat species diversity in forested areas, as found by Kafkaletou-Diez et al. (2022) in Ionian island forests. Traditional orchards, olive groves and non-intensive crop cultures can also attract many bat species (Kyheröinen et al. 2019). At the same time, crops inside agroforestry systems benefit from the presence of bats, as the latter consume high numbers of insects-parasites and, in this way, contribute to a more sustainable agriculture and yield increase.