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Description
Man-transformed forests do not offer enough number of suitable roosts for western barbastelle bat (day roosts, nursery roosts). Bird and bat boxes hung in forests (imitating natural hollows) do not meet the habitat requirements of western barbastelle bat because it prefers roosts in crevices located in trunks and under bark. Also there are no effective methods to monitor population dynamics of the species.
We propose two methods of improving the situation of western barabstelle bat in commercial forests: hanging crevice bat-boxes (immediate) and changing the way of forest management (long term). Bat-boxes combined with acoustic monitoring will be also the methods to monitore population dynamics of the species. Practical guide for conservation of western barbastelle bat created during project will help to archieve the long term goals.
The result of the project will be an improvement in the state of protection and knowledge of the western barbastelle population and the implementation of management plans for 12 protected areas.
A handbook on practical protection of the western barbastelle will be addressed to foresters, while information about the project and the need to protect bats will be provided to the general public
Summary of project results
Man-transformed forests do not offer enough number of suitable roosts for western barbastelle bat (day roosts, nursery roosts). Bird and bat boxes hung in forests (imitating natural hollows) do not meet the habitat requirements of western barbastelle bat because it prefers roosts in crevices located in trunks and under bark. Also, there are no effective methods to monitor population dynamics of this bat species. Another issue is the insufficient knowledge of foresters about effective methods of bat conservation in managed forests.
The project has implemented two methods of improving the situation of western barabstelle bat in commercial forests: hanging crevice bat-boxes (immediate effect) and changing the way of forest management (long term effect). 1,200 bat boxes were made and distributed in forests in 12 protected areas in Poland. Handbook of good practices in conservation of western barbastelle bat created and popularized among foresters helped achieve the long-term goals. The population monitoring of barabstelle bat was conducted by checking the occupancy of bat boxes and through acoustic surveys. An important aspect of the project was information and dissemination activities.
The main result of the project was to improve the habitat conditions for the western barabstelle bat and other bat species in 12 forest areas in Poland, through the creation of artificial shelters (1,200 crevice bat boxes). The project activities supported the implementation of management plans for Natura 2000 and other protected areas. In addition, monitoring of the western barabstelle populations in forest was developed and implemented. Handbook of good practices in conservation of western barbastelle bat was prepared, published and popularized among foresters.