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While the use of anthropogenic resources by wildlife in degraded habitats has been frequently documented, the use of such alternative resources in natural and semi‐natural habitats is not yet well understood. We explored the use of artificial water sources by bats in a semi‐natural habitat by conducting acoustic monitoring surveys at swimming pools on Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa from 2018 to 2020. We identified 7 of 23 local species in 24,909 recorded activities associated with resource use at the swimming pools, including 1,374 feeding buzzes and 9,286 drinking buzzes. This study confirmed that bats were using swimming pools in the game reserve as a foraging and drinking resource and indicates that such anthropogenic features could be of value to bats and potentially other wildlife in natural and semi‐natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit bats serve as crucial bioindicators, seed dispersers, pollinators, and contributors to food security within ecosystems. However, their population and distribution were threatened by climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the impacts of these pressures through mapping distribution and habitat suitability is crucial for identifying high‐priority areas and implementing effective conservation and management plans. We predicted the distribution and extent of habitat suitability for Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus under climate change scenarios using average predictions from four different algorithms to produce an ensemble model. Seasonal precipitation, population index, land‐use land cover, vegetation, and the mean temperature of the driest quarter majorly contributed to the predicted habitat suitability for both species. The current predicted sizes of suitable habitats for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus were varied, on average 60,271.4 and 85,176.1 km2, respectively. The change in species range size for R. aegyptiacus showed gains in suitable areas of 24.4% and 22.8% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. However, for E. labiatus, suitable areas decreased by 0.95% and 2% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. The range size change of suitable areas between 2050 and 2070 for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus shows losses of 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The predicted maps indicate that the midlands and highlands of southern and eastern Ethiopia harbor highly suitable areas for both species. In contrast, the areas in the northern and central highlands are fragmented. The current model findings show that climate change and anthropogenic pressures have notable impacts on the geographic ranges of two species. Moreover, the predicted suitable habitats for both species are found both within and outside of their historical ranges, which has important implications for conservation efforts. Our ensemble predictions are vital for identifying high‐priority areas for fruit bat species conservation efforts and management to mitigate climate change and anthropogenic pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding patterns of species distribution and diversity plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation. Such documentation is frequently lacking for bats, which are relatively little studied and often threatened. The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in peninsular India is a bat hotspot with 63 species. We conducted a comprehensive bat survey across the southern Western Ghats and used maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) to model the potential distribution of 37 bat species for which sufficient data were available. We generated binary maps of each species using species-specific thresholds to estimate suitable habitat areas and overlaid binary maps of species to produce bat hotspots (we use the term "bat hotspot" for regions that were suitable for more than 25 bat species). We also estimated species richness across protected area networks in the southern Western Ghats to assess the level of protection. The highest levels of species richness were found mainly along the southmost Periyar–Agastyamalai landscape. The study also identified a 1,683 km2 area of potential bat hotspot and 726 km2 (43%) of the total bat hotspots are currently within the protected area network. However, more than 50% of suitable habitats for each of the 37 species remain unprotected. Therefore, conservation decisions are needed to take into account both bat hotspots and species with restricted distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat species inhabit subterranean environments (e.g., caves and mines) in small areas with specific microclimatic conditions, during various periods of their life cycle. Bats can be negatively influenced by microclimatic changes within their roosts if optimal habitat patches become unavailable. Therefore, proper management solutions must be applied for the conservation of vulnerable bat populations, especially in show caves. We have pursued an ensemble species distribution modelling approach in subterranean environments to identify sensible patches for bats. Using multi-annual temperature monitoring and bat distribution surveys performed within ten caves and mines, including show caves, we modelled relevant habitat patches for five bat species. The temperature-based variables generated from this approach proved to be effective when processed via species distribution models, which generated optimal validation results, even for bats that were heavily clustered in colonies. Management measures are proposed for each show cave to help in long-time conservation of hibernation and maternity colonies. These measures include creating suitable microclimatic patches within the caves by ecological reconstruction measures, tourist management practices in relation to bats, and show cave fitting recommendations. This approach has never been performed at this scale due to the complex geostatistical challenges involving subterranean environment mapping and can be further used as best practice guidelines for future conservation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bat fauna from the extreme north of Chile is poorly known, principally due to a lack of dedicated surveys. To better assess the diversity of bats there, we conducted acoustic surveys at Arica city and three coastal valleys (Azapa, Lluta and Camarones) in the Arica and Parinacota region, Chile. We obtained 82 acoustic records of the Peale's free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops aurispinosus) in nine sites within the region. This species had not been previously documented in Chile but was known from adjacent Tacna province, Peru. Echolocation calls of N. aurispinosus can be distinguished from other molossid bat species occurring in the area by its lower frequency range. Our data suggest a wide distribution of N. aurispinosus across the coastal valleys of the Arica and Parinacota region, where they were active in both natural and anthropized habitats. This southernmost record of N. aurispinosus for the Pacific coast, extends its known range ca. 150 km southward, and increases up to 15 the number of bat species in Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats spend more than half of their life in roosts, where key life events transpire. Therefore the availability and selection of roosts are important to bats everywhere, and may limit their ability to exploit every habitat, including agricultural landscapes such as paddy fields, orchards and tea plantations. This study aimed to investigate the day roosts used by insectivorous bat species in tea plantations of Sri Lanka. We surveyed 18 tea plantations where we recorded a total of 44 roosts involving five families and nine species of bats (Hipposideros galeritus, Hipposideros lankadiva, Hipposideros speoris, Rhinolophus beddomei, Rhinolophus rouxii, Megaderma spasma, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Pipistrellus coromandra and Miniopterus cf. fuliginosus). Most (26) of the recorded roosts were geomorphic, (11) were anthropogenic, and (7) were in vegetation. H. lankadiva and M. cf. fuliginosus are the only species known to roost exclusively in geomorphic roosts; all others were opportunistic. Although protecting bat roosts is crucial for their conservation, it is challenging in view of existing tea management practices. Therefore, natural roosts should be maintained and protected. The introduction of artificial roosts might increase the number of bats able to forage over tea plantations and maximize their consumption of agricultural pests, thereby increasing tea production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of studies designed to detect the most important areas for bat conservation. In this context, areas of high bat activity have been rarely considered in the delimitation of protected areas for bats, which are generally focused on the protection of roosting sites. This has been due to the difficulties of sampling the distribution of these nocturnal animals when moving at night. This methodological constraint has been overcome by the development of bioacoustic sampling, which allows mapping the occurrence of active bats over large areas. In this study, we use bat detectors to sample the distribution of bat activity in central Spain. This region is under the environmental effects of a mountain range (Guadarrama Mountains) and the urban encroachment of the city of Madrid. The occurrences provided by the detectors were used to produce species distribution models of which the resulting layers were arranged to detect the most suitable areas for bat richness and rarity indices. We performed a gap analysis to explore whether the areas most commonly used by active bats are covered by the current network of protected areas. The results showed that the best areas of high bat activity are located at the piedmont of the mountains and that most of these areas overlap with the existing network of protected areas. The best areas for bats excluded the most urbanized areas and within a similar urban gradient, protected areas tended to be located within the best sites for conservation. These results suggest that bats currently benefit from a network of protected areas initially aimed to protect birds and habitats (Natura 2000). In addition, monitoring areas of high bat activity could complement roosting site protection in the conservation of bat assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous processes operating at landscape scales threaten bats (e.g., habitat loss, disease). Temperate bat species are rarely examined at commensurate scales because of logistical and modeling constraints. Recent modeling approaches now allow for presence‐only datasets, like those often available for bats, to assist with the development of predictive distribution models. We describe the use of presence‐only data and rigorous predictive distribution models to examine habitat selection by bats across Colorado, USA. We applied hierarchical Bayesian models to bat locations from 1906–2018 to examine relationships of 13 species with landscape covariates. We considered differences in type of activity (foraging, roosting, hibernation), seasonality (summer vs. winter), and scale (1, 5, 10, and 15‐km buffers). These findings generated statewide probability of use models to guide management of bat species in response to threats (e.g., white‐nose syndrome [WNS]). Analysis of buffers suggest selection of land cover and environmental covariates occurs at different scales depending on the species and activity. Pinyon (Pinus spp.)‐juniper (Juniperus spp.) appeared as a positive association in the highest number of models, followed by montane woodland, supporting the importance of these forest types to bats in Colorado. Other covariates commonly associated with bats in Colorado include westerly longitudes, and negative associations with montane shrubland. Mechanical treatments within pinyon‐juniper and montane woodlands should be conducted with caution to avoid harming bat communities. We developed hibernation models for only 2 species, making apparent the lack of winter records for bat species in the state. We also provide a composite predictive surface of small‐bodied bats in Colorado that delineates where these species, vulnerable to WNS, converge. This tool provides managers with focal points to apply surveillance and response strategies for the impending arrival of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the altitudinal and temporal patterns of species abundance and reproductive status for 18 Neotropical bat species during 17 continuous months in four ranges (low 50, mid–low 500, mid–high 1000, and high 2000 m a.s.l.) in an altitudinal gradient in Costa Rica. We found an effect of elevation on the abundance on ten species. We also found a combined effect of altitude and precipitation in two species; for example, Carollia castanea was more abundant at the low altitudinal range and during the high precipitation period, while Sturnira hondurensis was more abundant at the high altitudinal range and during the low precipitation period. We also found an effect of altitude and precipitation on the reproductive status of five bat species. Carollia sowellii and C. castanea showed higher number of reproductive males in the low range and reproductive females in the low altitudinal range during the high precipitation period. We also found a larger number of reproductive males of Sturnira mordax in the mid–high range, while pregnant females were more abundant during the low precipitation period. Our results show altitudinal and temporal patterns of abundance and reproductive phenology that highlight the need for long-term studies of species assemblages along altitudinal gradients. This information is crucial to implement conservation strategies that are species-orientated, promoting habitat protection for a large number of species in altitudinal ranges involved at the specific periods when bat abundance or reproduction is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Animal movement determines home range patterns, which in turn affect individual fitness, population dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Using temperate bats, a group of particular conservation concern, we investigated how morphological traits, habitat specialization and environmental variables affect home range sizes and daily foraging movements, using a compilation of 30 years of published bat telemetry data. Location: Northern America and Europe. Time period: 1988–2016. Major taxa studied: Bats. Methods: We compiled data on home range size and mean daily distance between roosts and foraging areas at both colony and individual levels from 166 studies of 3,129 radiotracked individuals of 49 bat species. We calculated multi‐scale habitat composition and configuration in the surrounding landscapes of the 165 studied roosts. Using mixed models, we examined the effects of habitat availability and spatial arrangement on bat movements, while accounting for body mass, aspect ratio, wing loading and habitat specialization. Results: We found a significant effect of landscape composition on home range size and mean daily distance at both colony and individual levels. On average, home ranges were up to 42% smaller in the most habitat‐diversified landscapes while mean daily distances were up to 30% shorter in the most forested landscapes. Bat home range size significantly increased with body mass, wing aspect ratio and wing loading, and decreased with habitat specialization. Main conclusions: Promoting bat movements through the landscape surrounding roosts at large spatial scales is crucial for bat conservation. Forest loss and overall landscape homogenization lead temperate bats to fly further to meet their ecological requirements, by increasing home range sizes and daily foraging distances. Both processes might be more detrimental for smaller, habitat‐specialized bats, less able to travel increasingly longer distances to meet their diverse needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We Review How Different Bat Guilds Respond To Artificial Light At Night (Alan) And Assess How The Impacts Can Vary According To Ecological Context. All Studied European Species Respond Negatively To Alan Close To Roosts And Drinking Sites, And The Impacts Occur Across A Wide Range Of Light Colors And Intensities. Most Bat Species Are Sensitive To Alan When Commuting And Foraging. Although Narrow-Space-Foraging Bat Species Consistently Avoid Alan When Foraging, Open And Edge-Space-Foraging Species May Exploit Insects Lured By Alan. Therefore, Alan Acts As An Environmental Filter On Bat Assemblages. Considering The Detrimental Effect Of Alan On Insects, We Conclude That Alan Probably Has Negative Impacts On All Bat Species, Even On Those Foraging At Streetlights. The Sprawl Of Alan May Be A Key Factor Driving The Decline Of Bat Diversity Globally, And The Current Trajectory Of Increasing Alan Is Therefore Of Considerable Concern For Bat Conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) that roost in subterranean hibernacula have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS); however, understudied populations also use during winter non-subterranean roosts such as tree cavities, bridges, and foliage. Our objectives were to determine winter roost use by tricolored bats in an area devoid of subterranean roosts, determine roost microclimates to relate them to growth requirements of the fungal causal agent of WNS, and determine habitat factors influencing winter tree selection. From November to March 2017–2019, we used radiotelemetry to track 15 bats to their day roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina and recorded microclimates in accessible tree cavities and bridges. We also characterized habitat and tree characteristics of 24 used trees and 153 random, available trees and used discrete choice models to determine selection. Roost structures included I-beam bridges, cavities in live trees, and foliage. Bridges were warmer and less humid than cavities. Roost temperatures often were amenable to fungal growth (< 19.5°C) but fluctuated widely depending on ambient temperatures. Bats used bridges on colder days (8.7°C ± 5.0 SD) and trees on warmer days (11.3°C ± 5.4). Bats selected low-decay trees closer to streams in areas with high canopy closure and cavity abundance. Bats also appeared to favor hardwood forests and avoid pine forests. Our results suggest that access to multiple roost microclimates might be important for tricolored bats during winter, and forest management practices that retain live trees near streams and foster cavity formation in hardwood forests likely will benefit this species. Our results also suggest tricolored bats using bridge and tree roosts might be less susceptible to WNS than bats using subterranean hibernaculum roosts. Thus, forests in areas without subterranean hibernacula in the southeastern United States that support bats during winter might represent important refugia from WNS for multiple species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitivity of bats to land use change depends on their foraging ecology, which varies among species based on ecomorphological traits. Additionally, because prey availability, vegetative clutter, and temperature change throughout the year, some species may display seasonal shifts in their nocturnal habitat use. In the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA, the northern long‐eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius), tri‐colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), and northern yellow bat (Lasiurus intermedius) are species of conservation concern that are threatened by habitat loss. Our objective was to identify characteristics of habitat used by these species during their nightly active period and compare use between summer and winter. We conducted acoustic surveys at 125 sites during May–August and at 121 of the same 125 sites December–March 2018 and 2019 in upland forests, bottomland forests, fields, ponds, and salt marsh and used occupancy models to assess habitat use. The northern long‐eared bat and southeastern myotis (i.e., myotis bats) used sites that were closer to hardwood stands, pine stands, and fresh water year‐round. We did not identify any strong predictors of tri‐colored bat habitat use in summer, but during winter they used bottomland forests, fields, and ponds more than salt marsh and upland forests. During summer and winter, northern yellow bats used sites close to fresh water and salt marsh. Additionally, during summer they used fields, ponds, and salt marsh more than upland and bottomland forests, but in winter they used bottomland forests, fields, and ponds more than upland forest and salt marsh. Our results highlight important land cover types for bats in this area (e.g., bottomland forests, ponds, and salt marsh), and that habitat use changes between seasons. Accounting for and understanding how habitat use changes throughout the year will inform managers about how critical habitat features may vary in their importance to bats throughout the year. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. : Habitat use of myotis bats, tri‐colored bats and northern yellow bats varied by species and for 2 species, by season. Habitat use for myotis bats remained mostly the same during winter and summer, but tri‐colored bats and northern yellow bats shifted their habitat use, using forested areas more in winter than in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban wetlands are important habitat for wildlife, particularly insectivorous bats which provide a key ecosystem service in suppressing insects. While claims are often made that bats consume high numbers of mosquitoes in a given night, the evidence for this claim is scant at best. The Canning River Regional Park (CRRP), an urban riverine reserve in Western Australia, has fauna conservation as a primary goal and mosquito control as a top priority. We took advantage of occupied bat boxes within the CRRP to determine the roosting bat species and their diet using non‐invasive DNA metabarcoding of bat faecal samples. The widespread and urban‐adapted Chalinolobus gouldii was the only bat species detected roosting in the bat boxes. This opportunistic forager consumed over 700 unique prey (operational taxonomic units; OTUs); only 14% of OTUs were assigned to either species or genus, representing seven insect orders. Mosquitoes were detected in 11% of the 90 faecal samples, over multiple years and in both the maternity and non‐maternity seasons. Assigned prey was predominantly Lepidoptera with 40% of the 49 Lepidoptera species negatively impacting humans. Urban riverine reserves are critical habitat for bats, which in turn, are crucial in providing the ecosystem service of insect suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rocky outcrops influence both micro and macro habitat for plants and animals by increasing the availability and predictability of food, providing shelter, and unique microclimatic conditions. Objective: We describe the bat assemblage in three isolated rocky outcrops and their surrounding pediments, adding new data about trophic guilds and roosts. Methods: We surveyed the bat fauna of Paraje Tres Cerros, Corrientes Province, Argentina, exploring 13 sites during 26 field trips, using mist nets and search of roosts. We made an accumulation species curve and calculate inventory completeness. The similarity and composition of different habitats was compared by a Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and an ANOSIM test. Results: We reported 13 species, with a completeness inventory of the 80 % (Jacknife1), corresponding to the families Vespertilionidae, Molossidae and Phyllostomidae. The insectivorous bats were the best represented guild. We found nine types of roost for eight species in different sites. The analysis expressed low differences in the species composition between both types of habitats in the area. Conclusions: The rocky outcrops and their pediments are important ecosystems for the conservation and diversity of the bats in the region, since their assemblages are regionally unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nest boxes are often used to provide supplementary roosts for cavity-dependent wildlife, but little is known about if they influence faunal community composition. Long-term monitoring of bat boxes in south-eastern Australia indicated that their use was dominated by one generalist species (Chalinolobus gouldii), causing concern that installing bat boxes could cause a shift toward less diverse bat communities. To test this, we conducted a large-scale before-after control-impact experiment at 18 sites, over five years. Sites were either: (1) those with existing bat boxes, (2) those where boxes were added during the study, or (3) controls without boxes. We used echolocation call data from 9035 bat detector nights to compare community composition, diversity, and species' relative activity between the sites. Chalinolobus gouldii continued to dominate the use of existing boxes, but we found little difference in community composition between sites based on the presence, absence, or addition of boxes. Our study is the first to explore the influence installing artificial hollows has on localized faunal assemblages over spatio-temporal scales relevant to management. We conclude that there is cause for optimism that bat boxes might not have perverse outcomes on local community composition in the short- to medium-term, as we had feared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American bats are experiencing declines in part due to anthropogenic impacts resulting in habitat loss and disturbance. In eastern deciduous forests, bats rely on forest resources for all or part of the year. Therefore, to promote conservation of bats, it is essential to determine whether current forest management techniques are compatible with habitat use by bats. We evaluated the relative effect of landscape characteristics, including forest management variables, on sex-specific foraging habitat of an insectivorous forest-dwelling bat species, the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), and predicted areas of suitable habitat for N. humeralis. A total of 18 variables were assessed using a maximum-entropy (Maxent) machine-learning approach: eight land use–land cover classes, three stand types, two topography measures, normalized difference vegetation index, and four forest management variables. Females showed the highest probability of presence closer to stands treated with prescribed fire, whereas males showed the highest probability of presence closer to reforested stands. In general, males exhibited more flexibility than females in their habitat selection. The Maxent model further indicated that habitat associated with suitability of > 70% was ~4 times larger for males than females, and predicted an additional area of suitable foraging habitat where no presence locations had been recorded. Our modeling approach may be suitable for other researchers to derive models appropriate for a wide range of bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding microhabitat preferences of animals is critical for effective conservation, especially for temperate-zone bats, which receive fitness benefits from selecting optimal roost microhabitats. Artificial roost structures are increasingly being used in conservation efforts for at-risk bat species. To evaluate microhabitat differences in common artificial roost structures and determine if roost selection occurs based on structure type, we installed artificial roosts of three different styles (bat box, rocket box, and bark mimic) in six clusters. We compared size and measured temperature parameters (12 points/roost) while bats were excluded from one cluster. We simultaneously conducted census counts during the active season at five more clusters open to bats for 1–2 years. The rocket box style provided larger entrance area, surface area, and volume versus other roost types. Microclimate varied with roost design. More positions inside the bat box and rocket box stayed within critical temperature limits for bats (0–45°C)—i.e., were usable. The bark-mimic provided less usable space than the rocket box and, often, large proportions of the roost were > 45°C. The rocket box provided the widest temperature availability in a given hour (max range available 7°C) and was more stable than the bark mimic. A maternity colony of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) selected the rocket box style; four of five available rocket boxes became primary maternity roosts, with 2–210 bats emerging per night. Future work should aim to manipulate roost size, temperature availability, and temperature stability in isolation to identify which features drive roost microhabitat selection by bats. Comparative studies of artificial roosts account for some inherent irregularity in natural systems, allowing us to study the dynamics of roost microhabitats. We recommend season-long monitoring of microhabitat in novel artificial refuges and comparative studies of artificial and natural roosts, and urge managers to consider potential positive and negative effects when substituting artificial roosts for natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite mounting evidence on the ecological impacts of damming for biodiversity, little is known regarding its consequences in the hyper-diverse Southeast Asian tropical forests. Here we assess the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the diversity and activity of insectivorous bats within the hydroelectric Kenyir Lake in peninsular Malaysia. We surveyed bat assemblages on 26 islands and two mainland continuous forest sites using passive acoustic monitoring. Echolocation calls were classified into sonotypes, each corresponding to either one or multiple species, and grouped into foraging guilds. We then examined bat overall assemblage (sonotype richness, activity, and composition), guild- and sonotype-specific activity. From 9360 h of recordings, we identified 16 bat sonotypes, including 10 forest (2854 bat passes), three edge (13703) and three open-space foragers (3651). Sonotype richness increased towards denser canopy structures, as indicated by higher Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values (NDVI). Sonotype composition varied across the gradient of forest area. Forest foragers were positively affected by NDVI and negatively affected by distance to the closest neighbour, whereas edge foragers' activity increased in smaller islands. Of the six sonotypes analysed, the activity of one forest sonotype increased with forest area, while that of one edge sonotype decreased. Ensuring habitat quality within insular forest remnants, in addition to their functional connectivity, maximises bat diversity, including the persistence of forest foraging species. Future hydropower development should therefore avoid the creation of a myriad of small, isolated, and habitat-degraded islands further characterised by altered levels of bat diversity and guild-level activity. • We assessed the diversity of insectivorous bats in dam-induced islands in Malaysia. • Species persistence was modulated by island size and habitat quality. • Forest foragers activity decreased with island isolation and degradation. • Edge foragers benefited from fragmentation, increasing in activity on smaller islands. • By creating multiple small, isolated, degraded islands, damming erodes bat diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For over a century there have been continual efforts to incorporate nature into urban planning. These efforts (i.e., urban reconciliation) aim to manage and create habitats that support biodiversity within cities. Given that species select habitat at different spatial scales, understanding the scale at which urban species respond to their environment is critical to the success of urban reconciliation efforts. We assessed species–habitat relationships for common bat species at 50‐m, 500‐m, and 1 km spatial scales in the Chicago (U.S.A.) metropolitan area and predicted bat activity across the greater Chicago region. Habitat characteristics across all measured scales were important predictors of silver‐haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans) and eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis) activity, and big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus) activity was significantly lower at urban sites relative to rural sites. Open vegetation had a negative effect on silver‐haired bat activity at the 50‐m scale but a positive effect at the 500‐m scale, indicating potential shifts in the relative importance of some habitat characteristics at different scales. These results demonstrate that localized effects may be constrained by broader spatial patterns. Our findings highlight the importance of considering scale in urban reconciliation efforts and our landscape predictions provide information that can help prioritize urban conservation work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information exists with regard to suitable summer habitat of Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) in West Virginia. Our research objectives were to use ultrasonic acoustic equipment and automated identification software to collect presence data for Indiana Bats and to examine habitat characteristics and availability across the local landscape. We used a maximum entropy (MAXENT) approach to determine if the distribution of various ecological factors such as landuse/landcover, forest fragmentation, aspect, area solar radiation, slope, proximity to permanent water, and elevation influenced foraging-habitat suitability of Indiana Bats. We sampled across the 1160-ha Camp Dawson Collective Training Area in Preston County, WV, to determine Indiana Bat presence. We employed the collected presence data to examine habitat suitability within a 16,151-ha study area encompassing the training facility. Based on MAXENT results, we characterized highly suitable Indiana Bat habitat as including large tracts of contiguous forest cover (>200 ha) associated with low to modest slopes (<20°), road corridors, and areas of high solar radiation (≥5.5 × 105 WH/m2). High (81-100%) and medium-high (61-80%) suitability classes were uncommon across the landscape (0.6% and 2.7%, respectively), with the broad medium-to-high suitability classes (41-100%) collectively comprising only 11.4% of the study area. Elevation (m) and aspect contributed little to the model and displayed low permutation importance that did not vary notably from the corresponding percent contribution. These variables, along with close proximity to permanent water (≤200 m away), are likely not limiting ecological factors. The results of this study supplement current knowledge of summer habitat of the Indiana Bat and provide land and wildlife managers localized guidance on conservation priorities within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation efforts for endangered animals commonly focus on the protection of foraging habitats, aiming to ensure sufficient food availability. However, the diet of many species is based on animals that undergo habitat shifts across ontogenetic life stages, yielding considerable differences between the lifelong habitat requirements of both predator and prey. Consequently, prey availability may not only depend on the suitability of the foraging grounds where predator and prey coincide, but also on habitats where the ecological requirements of the non-prey stages are fulfilled. In this study we test to what extent prey of the insectivorous bat Rhinolophus euryale (Blasius 1853) originate either from the grounds where they are consumed, or in areas/habitats outside the bat's foraging sites. We analyzed the diet of R. euryale , by identifying its prey to the species level using DNA metabarcoding, and by searching for its prey's larval feeding requirements in the literature. We found that the larvae of the moth prey grow both inside and outside the grounds where they are hunted by the bats once the moths reach their adult stage. The importance of prey that originated from outside the bat's foraging grounds varied considerably across seasons. As a result, R. euryale does not only rely on the landscape elements where it hunts, but also on other source areas/habitats that supply it with food. This study shows that conservation measures that aim to address the foraging requirements of predatory species should not be limited to merely protecting their foraging grounds, but should also take into account the ecological requirements of their prey throughout their life stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat populations are threatened in many regions of the world, partly due to the loss of foraging and commuting habitats in farmland and declines in insect prey populations caused by agricultural intensification. Given that bats play an important role as bioindicators and in suppressing crop pests, it is crucial to mitigate negative impacts that arise from these threats. In this study we evaluated the richness, quantified at family level, and abundance of bat prey insects in organic vineyards surrounded by three types of adjacent habitat: urban/semi-urban areas, exotic tree plantations, and remnants of native vegetation. The relationship between the abundance of prey and the foraging activity of bats in the vineyards was also examined. Insects were sampled using ultraviolet light traps, located both inside and at the edge of the vineyards. Bat activity was monitored at each site using acoustic recorders. The insect richness was unaffected by the type of adjacent habitat and did not differ between the edge and the interior of the vineyards. In contrast, insect abundance was significantly influenced by the type of adjacent habitat. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation and exotic tree plantations showed the highest abundances for most insect orders present in the bat diet compared to urban areas. Bat activity was significantly correlated with the abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with mixed effects between bat species (negative for Tadarida brasiliensis , positive for Lasiurus varius , Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis). Crop edges adjacent to native vegetation provides important foraging habitat for bats and should therefore be considered in agricultural management. Locating vineyards close to these habitats may promote bat conservation via increased prey insects and may also benefit winegrowers through the ecosystem services provided by insectivorous bats in this crop. • We evaluated the richness and abundance of nocturnal flying insects in vineyards with varying adjacent habitat types. • The relationship between the abundance of prey and the foraging activity of bats in vineyards was also examined. • Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation and exotic tree plantations showed the highest abundances for most insect orders. • Bat activity was significantly correlated with the abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. • Locating vineyards close to these habitats may promote bat conservation via increased prey insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Parks and other protected lands can provide important source habitat and act as valuable dispersal corridors in urbanizing environments. However, most wetlands within protected areas are managed in isolation without consideration of the broader landscape connections. We studied the importance of wetland habitat connectivity and landscape context to bat activity in five National Parks along a gradient of increasing urbanization within the Mid-Atlantic United States. Ninety-six Anabat stations were set up throughout the parks, from which we derived the characteristic spatial scales at which bat activity was associated with wetlands. This information was used in a graph theoretic framework to construct network models of potential landscape connectivity for those species that had positive associations with wetland land cover. We found that the importance of wetlands as a predictor of bat activity varied on a species-by-species basis and increased when network measures were used that accounted for connected area in a broad spatial context. The results demonstrate that both area and connectivity of wetland foraging habitat may act as orthogonal variables to availability of roosting habitat in explaining the distribution of highly mobile species. We use the results to illustrate the value of network analysis to guide the coordinated management of two of the parks’ most valued natural resources – wetlands and bats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anoura caudifer (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818) is a phyllostomid commonly called the tailed tailless bat. This is a relatively small species with an elongated muzzle, a long and protractile tongue, and generally dark brown pelage; it is 1 of 8 species in the genus Anoura. It occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. This species is a habitat generalist occurring in mesic tropical forests from sea level to 1,500 m elevation. It is frequently captured in many locations along its geographical distribution and it is not considered of special conservation concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the rapid decline of greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) in Europe, conservation efforts have previously focused on protecting maternity roosts and hibernacula. Currently, there is little information available on the ecology of this species outside of these 2 main periods. This study investigates patterns of roost use, ranging behavior, habitat use, and diet of R. ferrumequinum using data collected from a transitional roost studied over 3 years in Dorset, United Kingdom. The roost was predominantly used during the spring and autumn, and acted as a link between maternity roosts and hibernacula. Compositional analysis of ranging behavior collected in the spring revealed that R. ferrumequinum selected grazed pastures and broad-leaved woodland compared with other available habitat. Diet analysis revealed that there was little difference between the diet of individuals using the transitional roost and the nearest known R. ferrumequinum maternity colony. Broad-leaved woodlands within 4 km of transitional roosts used by R. ferrumequinum in the spring should be protected to help conserve this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional conservation plans are increasingly used to plan for and protect biodiversity at large spatial scales however the means of quantitatively evaluating their effectiveness are rarely specified. Multiple-species approaches, particular those which employ site-occupancy estimation, have been proposed as robust and efficient alternatives for assessing the status of wildlife populations over large spatial scales, but implemented examples are few. I used bats as a model to evaluate design considerations for the use of occupancy estimation to assess population status and habitat associations for eight species of bats covered under a regional conservation plan. Bats were one of the groups expected to benefit from a system of reserves for species associated with late-successional/old-growth (LSOG) habitat designated under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). This study produced the first estimates for probabilities of occupancy and detection for bats at a regional scale. Overall probabilities of occupancy ranged from 0.586 to 0.783 and probabilities of detection ranged from 0.239 to 0.532 among the eight species modeled. Although point estimates of occupancy suggested association with NWFP habitat categories for some species, estimate precision was low. Models that assumed constant occupancy with respect to reserve- and LSOG-status were supported for most species. I used model-averaged estimates of occupancy and detection for each species to estimate survey effort necessary to meet precision targets. Occupancy estimation was best suited to species with the highest detection probabilities. Species that are rare or difficult to detect will require enhancement in survey methods or more intensive survey effort to produce meaningful estimates. Optimizing monitoring efforts to address multiple species requires tradeoffs among survey methods, levels of effort, and acceptable levels of precision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

1. Recognizing the factor(s) that caused a demographic crash is a prerequisite to the development of a tailored population restoration plan. While habitat destruction leaves little scope for population persistence, cryptic habitat deterioration (for example through reduction of food resources) may similarly render an area totally inhospitable, while it still appears to have a suitable habitat configuration. 2. Most European bat species have undergone dramatic declines over the past decades. Once among the most widespread and abundant bat species of Central Europe, the lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros (Bechstein 1800), is today extinct in many regions. Although changes in the agricultural landscape have been suggested as the major cause of decline, recent studies have shown that this bat forages almost exclusively in woodland, a habitat that has increased in area across continental Europe over the past decades. This suggests that habitat eradication per se is unlikely to be the main cause of decline. But could cryptic habitat deterioration play a harmful role? 3. We looked at the abundance of insect prey in woodland in the vicinity of colonial roosts with diverging demographic status (extinct, declining or recovering populations), both in the Swiss lowlands (Swiss Plateau) and in the Alps. We predicted that population size correlates positively with prey abundance. 4. Diet composition mirrored local insect prey abundance, confirming an opportunistic foraging strategy. Prey abundance showed marked seasonal variation, but did not differ between sites harbouring extinct, declining or recovering populations. There was also no difference in food abundance between extinct populations in the lowlands and recovering populations in the Alps. 5. Synthesis and applications. Cryptic habitat deterioration through a reduction in prey abundance is unlikely to preclude recolonization of abandoned areas by presently recovering populations. However, sufficient areas of natural forest should be preserved or created around potential nursery roosts. Moreover, connectivity between forest patches must be ensured (by creation of hedges and tree lines) to prevent any spatial gap in recolonization within semi-open agricultural landscapes. Other threatened European forest bats may also benefit from these measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of predictive models is continually increasing, but few models are subsequently field-checked and evaluated. This study evaluates the statistical strength and usefulness for conservation purposes of a predictive habitat use model developed for Chalinolobus tuberculatus, a threatened microchiropteran bat species found in the temperate rainforests of New Zealand. The relationship between various environmental variables and the presence/absence of the species was investigated using generalised linear modelling. The model developed was coupled with GIS data to develop maps of predicted occurrence within the West Coast region of New Zealand’s South Island. It was found that distance to forest boundary, slope, presence of Nothofagus, general land cover, variability in mean annual solar radiation, and mean ambient winter minimum temperature were significantly associated with the occurrence of the species. Evaluation of the statistical strength of the distribution model with independent data of species’ occurrence collected at 152 sites found that the C. tuberculatus model showed a moderate ability to predict both species presence and absence (τ(b) coefficient=0.37). The field detection rate (0.45) using this model was significantly higher than that of historical surveys (0.12). The value of the species habitat model and the need to evaluate its utility in the development of conservation strategies is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]