Unveiling Insights Into Global Warming Through Bat Feces: A 15‐Year Interval DNA Metabarcoding Analysis of the Eastern Bent‐Winged Bat

ABSTRACT

Global warming is driving animals to higher elevations, potentially altering predator–prey relationships. In central‐southern Taiwan, lowland regions have warmed significantly in summer over the past 20 years (0.32°C per decade). In this study, we utilized the dietary composition of the eastern bent‐winged bat ( Miniopterus fuliginosus ) as a proxy for potential changes in moth elevational distributions under climate warming. Specifically, using DNA metabarcoding, we examined fecal samples collected from caves at three elevations in summer 2005–2006 and 2021. We found that (1) in 2021, bats at mid‐ and high‐elevation sites consumed more lowland moth species compared to 15 years ago, and (2) prey body size showed no significant difference over the period, although bats consumed larger moths at higher elevations. These findings suggest that predator–prey relationships may already be responsive to regional warming, and such distributional shifts could potentially affect the foraging ecology of these bats at higher elevations. Overall, our findings reveal the sensitivity of montane food webs to climate warming, emphasizing the need for future long‐term monitoring to track cascading ecosystem impacts.