The use of solar farms by bats in mosaic landscapes: Implications for conservation

Solar energy is an important renewable energy source. However, the ecological effects of solar farms are largely unknown. Behavioral experiments proved previously that smooth surfaces, such as solar panels act as sensory traps for bats and insects, increasing collision risk, and suggesting that solar farms may affect local ecosystems in a complex way. As the orientation of bats is impeded around smooth surfaces, the exploitation of solar farms as foraging habitats by bats needs research. We surveyed the activity of bats at solar farms and in the neighboring habitats (forests, grasslands, arable fields, settlements and watersides) to evaluate the effects of solar farms on the occurrence and activity of bats and on the composition of bat communities. We conducted bioacoustic surveys at 190 sites in 15 areas of Hungary and recorded nearly 30 000 bat echolocation call sequences. We detected patterns of overall bat activity similar to those in other open habitats such as arable land and grassland indicating that some bat species can exploit this anthropogenic environment. Bat species detected at solar farms also frequently occur in arable land and settlements (Hypsugo savii, Nyctalus noctula and Pipistrellus kuhlii), suggesting that bats adapted to anthropogenic environments exploit solar farms. However, some species of major conservation concern (e.g. Myotis spp. and Barbastella barbastellus) were detected less frequently on solar farms than in other habitats raising implications for mitigation procedures

Indicator Bats Program: A System for the Global Acoustic Monitoring of Bats

Bats are an important component of mammalian biodiversity and fill such a wide array of ecological niches that they may offer an important multisensory bioindicator role in assessing ecosystem health. There is a need to monitor population trends of bats for their own sake because many populations face numerous environmental threats related to climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, hunting, and emerging diseases. To be able to establish bat ultrasonic biodiversity trends as a reliable indicator, it is important to standardize monitoring protocols, data management, and analyses. This chapter discusses the main issues to be considered in developing a bat ultrasonic indicator. It focuses on the results from indicator bats program (iBats), a system for the global acoustic monitoring of bats, in Eastern Europe. Finally, the chapter reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the Program and considers the opportunities and threats that it may face in the future