We are pleased to announce the publication of our newest bat paper in Ecology and Evolution!
Todd & Williamson (2019): Habitat usage of Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii), common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), and soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) in a North Wales upland river catchment.
The detections of three species of bat were investigated along an altitudinal gradient in the Lledr River, Conwy, North Wales, and their presence assessed in relation to water surface condition, presence/absence of bank‐side trees, and elevation. We found that all species significantly preferred smooth water sections of the river with trees on either one or both banks; P. pygmaeus also preferred smooth water with no trees. Bats avoided rough and cluttered water areas, as rapids may generate high‐frequency echolocation‐interfering noise and cluttered areas present obstacles to flight.
This study emphasizes the importance of riparian habitat, bank‐side trees, and smooth water as foraging habitat for bats in marginal upland areas until a certain elevation, beyond which bats in these areas likely cease to forage. These small‐scale altitudinal differences in habitat selection should be factored in when designing future bat distribution studies and taken into consideration by conservation planners when reviewing habitat requirements of these species in Welsh river valleys, and elsewhere within the United Kingdom.
Reference:
Todd, VLG, Williamson, LD. Habitat usage of Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii), common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), and soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) in a North Wales upland river catchment. Ecol Evol. 2019; 00: 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5085
