The study aims to develop and apply more efficient, safer, and more technological advanced methodologies for the inventory and monitoring of cave-dwelling bats. Traditional approaches require prolonged exposure of field teams to difficult-to-access environments and often result in low species detection rates. Given this scenario, the project proposes the adoption of innovative technologies, such as automated bioacoustics and artificial intelligence, combining the application of genetic techniques, such as next generation sequencing (NGS) and the use of DNA barcodes, to characterize the genetic diversity and gene flow of bat populations in the Carajás region (PA).
The proposal also includes the evaluation of the animals’ behavioral and physiological responses to environmental stressors, such as changes in land use and mining activities, which allows for early diagnosis of impacts and the proposal of more effective mitigation measures.
