Post by Bonobo on Jan 27, 2022 20:39:34 GMT 1
There are many species of bats in Poland, I didn`t evene know so many, and they have funny names. I recently learnt that scientists adapt old forlorn earth or brick basements for bat shelters.
eko.wprost.pl/srodowisko/10596985/z-braku-lasu-nietoperze-wybieraja-piwnice.html
A cellar instead of a forest. This is how bats do
Bat, illustration photo
Nietoperz, photo illustrative / Source: Unsplash / Martin Krchnacek
Bats that originally hibernated in old deciduous forests like to hibernate in cellars. Researchers from the Roztocze National Park, Lublin and Warsaw write about how important hiding places in human buildings are for protected species of mammals, when most forests do not meet the conditions of a safe wintering place.
In the Roztocze National Park, research was conducted for thirteen years by employees of the park, in cooperation with scientists from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and the University of Warsaw. The results of the analyzes have been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Biology.
“Historically, most of the bats inhabiting Europe were associated with forests where these flying mammals found food and looked for hiding places in hollows and in crevices under protruding bark. Unfortunately, contemporary forests, with their simplified species composition, a small share of old trees and a shortage of dead trees, offer bats much less hiding places than primeval forests. As a consequence, many bats living in forests are now looking for shelter in buildings "- explain the authors of the article: Dr. Eng. Przemysław Stachyra from the RPN, dr Michał Piskorski from UMCS, Mirosław Tchórzewski and Klaudia Łopuszyńska-Stachyra from the RPN and dr hab. Eng. Robert Mysłajek from the University of Warsaw.
In search of hibernating bats, naturalists each winter, from 2009 to 2021, controlled both free-standing ground cellars and the basement of buildings. In total, they found 310 of these mammals from 9 species. The most numerous among them was the brown bat, which accounted for over 60 percent. observed bats. The second in line was the western barbeque (20%), the next - Natterer's nightcap (14%). The other, less numerous species included the gray-eared bat, the large-sized nocek, the Bechstein's nocturnal, the red-headed nocturnal, the mustache's nocturnal and the late night scotoma.
Mopki and Nocki were fond of old trees
"We are particularly pleased with the presence in the cellars of the Western Barrow, Big Nock and Bechstein's Nock - species that are the subject of protection of the Natura 2000 area" Roztocze Środkowe ", whose boundaries coincide with the Roztocze National Park" - comments the author of the study, Dr. Eng. Przemysław Stachyra. He adds that they are bats characteristic of well-preserved patches of deciduous natural forests protected in the national park.
The research results will be the basis for further actions to protect the wintering grounds of these interesting mammals. The Roztoczański National Park has already taken active protection over a dozen earth cellars. In order to improve the conditions of bat hibernation, these facilities were sealed and protected against human penetration, and the interiors were also enriched by creating mosaics of ceramic elements (including "perforated bricks") to provide shelter for species that prefer crevices. In addition, in one of the old forest settlements, a special underground wintering place was created in the renovated basement, and in its vicinity a wooden building with a system of slotted boxes to serve the bat during breeding.
Our allies in the fight against insects
The protection of bats is important not only for the preservation of biodiversity, but also for utilitarian reasons. Bats living in Europe eat mainly insects, among which there are many species that destroy crops and cause damage to forestry, thus these mammals provide people with many valuable ecosystem services "- comments the co-author of the study, Dr. Eng. Robert Mysłajek from the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw.
Scientists hope that the actions taken by the Roztocze National Park will improve the fate of bats by providing them with convenient places for hibernation and reproduction.
Bat protection projects implemented by the Roztocze National Park are financed by the State Forests Fund, the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Lublin and European funds under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program 2014-2020.
eko.wprost.pl/srodowisko/10596985/z-braku-lasu-nietoperze-wybieraja-piwnice.html
A cellar instead of a forest. This is how bats do
Bat, illustration photo
Nietoperz, photo illustrative / Source: Unsplash / Martin Krchnacek
Bats that originally hibernated in old deciduous forests like to hibernate in cellars. Researchers from the Roztocze National Park, Lublin and Warsaw write about how important hiding places in human buildings are for protected species of mammals, when most forests do not meet the conditions of a safe wintering place.
In the Roztocze National Park, research was conducted for thirteen years by employees of the park, in cooperation with scientists from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and the University of Warsaw. The results of the analyzes have been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Biology.
“Historically, most of the bats inhabiting Europe were associated with forests where these flying mammals found food and looked for hiding places in hollows and in crevices under protruding bark. Unfortunately, contemporary forests, with their simplified species composition, a small share of old trees and a shortage of dead trees, offer bats much less hiding places than primeval forests. As a consequence, many bats living in forests are now looking for shelter in buildings "- explain the authors of the article: Dr. Eng. Przemysław Stachyra from the RPN, dr Michał Piskorski from UMCS, Mirosław Tchórzewski and Klaudia Łopuszyńska-Stachyra from the RPN and dr hab. Eng. Robert Mysłajek from the University of Warsaw.
In search of hibernating bats, naturalists each winter, from 2009 to 2021, controlled both free-standing ground cellars and the basement of buildings. In total, they found 310 of these mammals from 9 species. The most numerous among them was the brown bat, which accounted for over 60 percent. observed bats. The second in line was the western barbeque (20%), the next - Natterer's nightcap (14%). The other, less numerous species included the gray-eared bat, the large-sized nocek, the Bechstein's nocturnal, the red-headed nocturnal, the mustache's nocturnal and the late night scotoma.
Mopki and Nocki were fond of old trees
"We are particularly pleased with the presence in the cellars of the Western Barrow, Big Nock and Bechstein's Nock - species that are the subject of protection of the Natura 2000 area" Roztocze Środkowe ", whose boundaries coincide with the Roztocze National Park" - comments the author of the study, Dr. Eng. Przemysław Stachyra. He adds that they are bats characteristic of well-preserved patches of deciduous natural forests protected in the national park.
The research results will be the basis for further actions to protect the wintering grounds of these interesting mammals. The Roztoczański National Park has already taken active protection over a dozen earth cellars. In order to improve the conditions of bat hibernation, these facilities were sealed and protected against human penetration, and the interiors were also enriched by creating mosaics of ceramic elements (including "perforated bricks") to provide shelter for species that prefer crevices. In addition, in one of the old forest settlements, a special underground wintering place was created in the renovated basement, and in its vicinity a wooden building with a system of slotted boxes to serve the bat during breeding.
Our allies in the fight against insects
The protection of bats is important not only for the preservation of biodiversity, but also for utilitarian reasons. Bats living in Europe eat mainly insects, among which there are many species that destroy crops and cause damage to forestry, thus these mammals provide people with many valuable ecosystem services "- comments the co-author of the study, Dr. Eng. Robert Mysłajek from the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw.
Scientists hope that the actions taken by the Roztocze National Park will improve the fate of bats by providing them with convenient places for hibernation and reproduction.
Bat protection projects implemented by the Roztocze National Park are financed by the State Forests Fund, the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Lublin and European funds under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program 2014-2020.
