Traditional farming, where livestock is seasonally managed as free ranging and the use of drugs is reduced or absent, may prove beneficial to biodiversity by fostering the occurrence of spatial heterogeneity, and increasing the availability of trophic resources to wildlife. Previous work indicates that the presence of cattle in lowlands leads to an increase in bat foraging activity, yet no study has addressed this topic in mountainous regions, where free-ranging livestock is still common. Here we explore the relationships between landscape structure, farming and bat activity in a mountainous agricultural area, hypothesizing that bat activity will increase in response to the presence of livestock and landscape structure and heterogeneity. We found that traditional cattle farming may have a role in influencing bat activity in mountainous agroecosystems, yet its effects are evident for a limited number of species. Three pipistrelle species favoured foraging in areas subjected to cattle farming by hunting more often over cattle or fresh dung than at control sites. Free-ranging cattle thus provide profitable foraging opportunities for bats in mountainous landscapes, which remarks the importance of traditional farming activities in sustaining biodiversity. Cattle might also benefit from bat foraging activity if this leads to suppression of blood-sucking pests.

传统的耕种季节将牲畜作为自由放养进行季节性管理，减少或不使用毒品，这可能通过促进空间异质性的发生和增加野生生物的营养资源的利用而对生物多样性有利。先前的工作表明，低地牛的存在导致蝙蝠觅食活动的增加，但是在山区，这种地方放牧牲畜仍然很普遍，尚无研究针对这一主题。在这里，我们探索山区农业区域的景观结构，耕作与蝙蝠活动之间的关系，并假设随着牲畜和景观结构以及异质性的存在，蝙蝠活动将增加。我们发现，传统的养牛业可能在山区农业生态系统中影响蝙蝠的活动，但对于数量有限的物种，其影响显而易见。与在控制地点相比，三种小pi鱼更喜欢在牲畜或新鲜的粪便上打猎，因此更喜欢在养牛的地区觅食。因此，自由放养的牛为山区景观中的蝙蝠提供了有利可图的觅食机会，这表明了传统农业活动对维持生物多样性的重要性。牛也可以从蝙蝠的觅食活动中受益，如果这可以抑制吸血虫害。因此，自由放养的牛为山区景观中的蝙蝠提供了有利可图的觅食机会，这表明了传统农业活动对维持生物多样性的重要性。牛也可以从蝙蝠的觅食活动中受益，如果这可以抑制吸血虫害。因此，自由放养的牛为山区景观中的蝙蝠提供了有利可图的觅食机会，这表明了传统农业活动对维持生物多样性的重要性。牛也可以从蝙蝠的觅食活动中受益，如果这可以抑制吸血虫害。