Identification of the effect of environmental factors associated with the distance from the road infrastructure in bats

Some of the works in Road Ecology have been oriented to the vehicular run over, the evaluation of the connectivity between the areas, the availability of food, population changes, the availability of shelters, the survival of species, the characterization genetics, and bioacoustic variation, among others. Previous studies have contributed to the knowledge of the effects that roads cause on organisms, however, research has yet to be carried out to estimate the area ecologically affected by the road system, or “highway effect zone”, which directly or indirectly it affects organisms, affecting ecosystems. Therefore, this project aims to “estimate the functional diversity, the variability of response traits, and the DNA methylation in the auditory system in bats, in relation to environmental factors in a road line gradient – zone away from the road. Pacific Connection Highway 2, as a potential effect that this infrastructure can cause in these organizations ”. This project seeks to provide results that could be considered useful consequently the collection of biological information for the execution of road projects in the future goes beyond the knowledge of taxonomic diversity and incorporates guidelines, from scientific theory, that it also complements the information on environmental impacts from the functional perspective of communities and ecosystems. In turn, this study seeks to provide information for understanding responses to environmental variation of the bat community in the Tropical Dry Forest Zonobioma (BsT) intervened in Colombia by the infrastructure of interest. This knowledge becomes an argument with scientific support to address the challenges of management and handling of this territory in compliance with the environmental responsibilities to which the executing companies of this type of infrastructure undertake. At the same time, the project seeks to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) “Life of terrestrial ecosystems”, with respect to the goals of promoting sustainable forest management; and adoption of measures to protect threatened species and prevent their extinction.