Using Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) to determine cave conservation priorities in the Tuban Karst Area, East Java, Indonesia
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views: 262
File Views: 182
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract. Prakarsa TBP, Suhartini, Putri RA, Nugroho FA. 2025. Using Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) to determine cave conservation priorities in the Tuban Karst Area, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 26: 5040-5048. Bats are keystone species in cave ecosystems, acting as major providers of energy that sustain diverse cave-dependent communities. Their presence and diversity make caves crucial habitats for broader ecosystem stability. In the Tuban Karst Area, East Java, Indonesia, where caves host high species diversity and endemism, bats play a central role in maintaining ecological balance. However, this ecosystem faces severe threats from ongoing habitat destruction. Identifying caves that should be prioritized for conservation requires an understanding of bat diversity, endemism, behavior, and conservation status, as well as a standardized mechanism for risk evaluation. This study aimed to determine cave conservation priorities in the Tuban Karst Area through a holistic rapid assessment using the Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) with an index ranging from high to low conservation priority: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, ..., 4D. Sampling was conducted purposively in five caves: Lawa Belik, Srunggo, Jingkat, Ngerong, and Akbar. Data were analyzed using the BCVI method, which integrates biotic potential and vulnerability, represented primarily by bat species diversity and cave exposure to threats. The caves were ranked from highest to lowest conservation priority as follows: Ngerong (1A), Lawa Belik (2B), Akbar (3A), Srunggo (3B), and Jingkat (3C). This study demonstrates the significance of caves as bat roosting habitats. These findings highlight the critical role of bats in guiding cave conservation strategies and provide an evidence-based framework for prioritizing management actions in caves with the highest BCVI scores.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Aguilar J, Waldien DL. 2021. Hipposideros diadema. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T10128A22095445. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T10128A22095445.en.
Asosiasi Semen Indonesia (ASI). 2022. Asosiasi Semen Indonesia. https://asi.or.id. [Indonesian]
Bat Conservation International (BCI) 2013. A Five-Year Strategy for Global Bat Conservation. http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/BCI%20Strategic%20Plan%202013.pdf.
Bouillard N, Cretan S, Waldien DL. 2021. Rousettus leschenaultii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T19756A22001287. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T19756A22001287.
Cahyadi A, Prabawa BA, Tivianton TA, Nugraha H. 2014. Ekologi Lingkungan Kawasan Karst Indonesia: Menjaga Asa Kelestarian Kawasan Karst Indonesia. Depublish, Yogyakarta. [Indonesian]
Ceballos G, Ehrlich PR, Barnosky AD, García A, Pringle RM, Palmer TM. 2015. Accelerated modern human-induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Sci Adv 1: e1400253. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1400253.
Cembureau. 2021. The European Cement Association 2020. [Report]. Cembureau, Brussels.
Cistrone L, Russo D, Aulagnier S. 2023. Miniopterus schreibersii. IUCN Red List Threat Species 2023: e.T230918147A230918550. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T230918147A230918550.en.
Colléony A, Clayton S, Couvet D, Saint-Jalme M, Prévot AC. 2017. Human preferences for species conservation: animal charisma trumps endangered status. Biol Conserv 206: 263-269. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.11.035.
Deleva S, Toshkova N, Kolev M, Tanalgo K. 2023. Important underground roosts for bats in Bulgaria: Current state and priorities for conservation. Biodivers Data J 11: e98734. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e98734.
Ferreira LR. 2019. Guano communities. In: Culver WB, Culver DC, Pipan T (eds). Encyclopedia of Caves. 3rd ed. Academic Press, United States. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-814124-3.00057-1.
Hasibuan MM, Maryanto I, Kartono AP. 2021. Suara kelelawar (Microchiroptera) dari Gua Gudawang, Bogor [Bats calls (Microchiroptera) from Gudawang Cave]. Jurnal Biologi Indonesia 17 (1): 1-10. DOI: 10.47349/jbi/17012021/1. [Indonesian]
Hughes AC, Kirksey E, Palmer B, Tivasauradej A, Changwong AA, Chornelia A. 2023. Reconstructing cave past to manage and conserve cave present and future. Ecol Indic 155: 111051. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111051.
Hughes AC. 2017. Understanding the drivers of Southeast Asian biodiversity loss. Ecosphere 8: e01624. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1624.
Jaffé R, Prous X, Zampaulo R, Giannini TC, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL, Maurity C, Oliveira G, Brandi IV, O Siqueira J. 2016. Reconciling mining with the conservation of cave biodiversity: A quantitative baseline to help establish conservation priorities. Plos One 11 (12): e0168348. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168348.
Kurniawan I, Rahmadi C. 2017. The Detection of Human Activities’ Impact on Show Caves Environment in Pacitan, Indonesia. Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Speleology. Sydney, 22-28 July 2017.
Kurniawan ID, Rahmadi C, Akbar RTM, Prakarsa TBP. 2022. Stygobiotic isopod Stenasellus sp. in Sarongge Jompong cave, Tasikmalaya karst area, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23 (3): 1495-1504. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d230338.
Liew TS, Price L, Clements GR. 2016. Using Google Earth to improve the management of threatened limestone karst ecosystems in peninsular Malaysia. Trop Conserv Sci 9: 903-920. DOI: 10.1177/194008291600900219.
Liu Y, Wang J, Wu Z, Li S, Dai W. 2024. Identification of biodiversity priority conservation areas in China by integrating genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Biol Conserv 300: 110854. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110854.
Llaven-Macías V, Ruíz-Montoya L, Lopez-Gonz C, Rico Y, Naranjo EJ. 2021. Monthly fluctuation of colony size and composition of the free-tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis in the southernmost roost of Mexico. Mamm Res 66: 339-348. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00559-6.
Macdonald EA, Burnham D, Hinks AE, Dickman AJ, Malhi Y, Macdonald DW. 2015. Conservation inequality and the charismatic cat: Felis felicis. Glob Ecol Conserv 3: 851-866. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.04.006.
Meierhofer MB, Johnson JS, Perez-Jimenez J, Ito F, Webela PW, Wiantoro S, Bernard E, Tanalgo KC, Hughes A, Cardoso P, Lilley T, Mammola S. 2024. Effective conservation of subterranean-roosting bats. Conserv Biol 38: e14157. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14157.
Misra PK, Gautami NK, Elangovan V. 2019. Bat guano: A rich source of macro and microelements. Ann Plant Soil Res 21 (1): 82-86.
O’Reilly E, Gregory RD, Ainuns A. 2022. An assessment of relative habitat use as a metric for species’ habitat association and degree of specialization. Ecol Indic 135 (6): 108521. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108521.
Orr MC, Hughes AC, Costello MJ, Qiao H. 2022. Biodiversity data synthesis is critical for realizing a functional post-2020 framework. Biol Conserv 274: 109735. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109735.
Parise M. 2016. Modern resource use and its impact in karst areas-mining and quarrying. Z Geomorphol Suppl Issues 60 (2): 199-216. DOI: 10.1127/zfg_suppl/2016/00312.
Pievani T. 2014. The sixth mass extinction: Anthropocene and the human impact on biodiversity. Rend Lincei 25: 85-93. DOI: 10.1007/s12210-013-0258-9.
Prakarsa TBP, Hadisusanto S, Pudyatmoko S, Maryanto I. 2023. Hematological profile of three species of Hipposideros spp. (Hipposideridae) as an adaptation in cave habitat, in Gunung Sewu Geopark area, Indonesia. J Anim Plant Sci 33 (5): 708. DOI: 10.36899/JAPS.2023.5.0708.
Prakarsa TBP, Hadisusanto S, Pudyatmoko S, Maryanto I. 2025. Roosting ecology, reproduction, and population fluctuations of three Hipposideros species (Chiroptera) in Indonesian caves. Mammalia 89 (1): 53-63. DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2023-0050.
Prakarsa TBP, Kurniawan ID, Putro STJ. 2021. Biospeleologi: Biodiversitas Gua, Potensi, dan Permasalahannya. Bintang Pustaka Madani, Yogyakarta. [Indonesian]
Prakarsa TBP. 2013. Diversity, Habitat Characteristics, and Analysis of Natural Prey of Bats Suborder Microchiroptera Cave Dwellers in the Tuban Karst and Menoreh Karst Areas. [Thesis]. Fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta. [Indonesian]
Prakarsa TBP. 2024. Ecology of Insectivorous Bats in Gunung Sewu Karst Region: Population Dynamics, Reproductive Status, Ccholocation, Physiological Adaptation, and Prey Preferences. [Disertation]. Faculty of biology. Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta. [Indonesian]
Russ J. 2012. British Bat Calls: A Guide to Species Identification. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter.
Sætersdal M, Gjerde I. 2011. Prioritising conservation areas using species surrogate measures: Consistent with ecological theory? J Appl Ecol 48: 1236-1240. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02027.x.
?eren E, Çelekli A. 2024. Biodiversity loss: A global issue threatening ecological balance. In: Bilgili N (eds). Proceedings of ICHEAS - 7th International Conference on Health, Engineering and Applied Sciences. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 28-30 June 2024.
Sheherazade, Ober HK, Tsang SM. 2019. Contributions of bats to the local economy through durian pollination in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biotropica 0: 1-10. DOI: 10.1111/btp.12712.
Sikes RS. 2016. 2016 guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research and education. J Mammal 97: 663-688. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw078.
Srivathsa A, Banerjee A, Banerjee S, Chawla MM, Das A, Ganguly D, Rodrigues RG, Adhya T, Bhatia S, Kshettry A, Majgaonkar I, Punjabi GA, Puri M, Singh P, Surve N. 2022. Chasms in charismatic species research: Seventy years of carnivore science and its implications for conservation and policy in India. Biol Conserv 273: 109694. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109694.
Tanalgo KC, Oliveira HFM, Hughes AC. 2022. Mapping global conservation priorities and habitat vulnerabilities for cave-dwelling bats in a changing world. Sci Total Environ 843: 156909. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156909.
Tanalgo KC, Tabora JAG, Hughes AC. 2018. Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI): A holistic rapid assessment tool to identify priorities for effective cave conservation in the tropics. Ecol Indic 89: 852-860. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.11.064.
Taylor PJ, Grass I, Alberts AJ, Joubert E, Tscharntke T. 2018. Economic value of bat predation services: A review and new estimates from macadamia orchards. Ecosyst Serv 30: 372-381. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.11.015.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 2021. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Vaccarelli I, Colado R, Pallarés S, Galassi DMP, Sánchez-Fernández D, Di Cicco M, Meierhofer MB, Piano E, Di Lorenzo T, Mammola S. 2023. A global meta-analysis reveals multilevel and context-dependent effects of climate change on subterranean ecosystems. One Earth 6 (11): 1510-1522. DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.09.001.
van Harten E, Lawrence R, Lumsden LF, Reardon T, Bennett AF, Prowse TAA. 2022. Seasonal population dynamics and movement patterns of a critically endangered, cave-dwelling bat, Miniopterus orianae bassanii. Wildl Res 49: 646-658. DOI: 10.1071/WR21088.
Veach V, Di Minin E, Pouzols FM, Moilanen A. 2017. Species richness as criterion for global conservation area placement leads to large losses in coverage of biodiversity. Divers Distrib 23: 715-726. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12571.
Waldien DL, Adleson S, Wilson Z. 2020. Eonycteris spelaea. IUCN Red List Threat Species 2020: e.T7787A22128326. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T7787A22128326.en.
Waldien DL, Wiantoro S. 2021. Nycteris javanica. IUCN Red List Threat Species 2021: e.T14932A22013241. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T14932A22013241.en.
Wynne JJ, Howarth FG, Mammola S, Ferreira RL. 2021. A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome. Conserv Lett 14: e12834. DOI: 10.1111/conl.12834.
Yang X, Zhang F, Xu Q, Chen Z, Bi X, Shi J, Zhou L, Yang C. 2015. Compiling distribution of karst in southern China and Southeast Asia. J Groundw Sci Eng 3 (3): 280-284. DOI: 10.26599/JGSE.2015.9280031.