A species-level trait dataset of bats in Europe and beyond

Knowledge of species’ functional traits is essential for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting the impacts of global environmental changes, and assessing the efficiency of conservation measures. Bats are major components of mammalian diversity and occupy a variety of ecological niches and geographic distributions. However, an extensive compilation of their functional traits and ecological attributes is still missing. Here we present EuroBaTrait 1.0, the most comprehensive and up-to-date trait dataset covering 47 European bat species. The dataset includes data on 118 traits including genetic composition, physiology, morphology, acoustic signature, climatic associations, foraging habitat, roost type, diet, spatial behaviour, life history, pathogens, phenology, and distribution. We compiled the bat trait data obtained from three main sources: (i) a systematic literature and dataset search, (ii) unpublished data from European bat experts, and (iii) observations from largescale monitoring programs. EuroBaTrait is designed to provide an important data source for comparative and trait-based analyses at the species or community level. The dataset also exposes knowledge gaps in species, geographic and trait coverage, highlighting priorities for future data collection.EU Framework Horizon 2020COST Action CA18107 ‘Climate change and bats: from science to conservation – ClimBats’ (https://climbats.eu/)The Région Bretagne (SAD grant number 19041)Leverhulme Trust (grant number: ECF-2020-571)Bulgarian National Science Fund (CP-06-COST/15 from 16.12.2020)Natural Environment Research Council Independent Research Fellowship (NE/M018660/1

Acoustic activity of bats at power lines correlates with relative humidity: a potential role for corona discharges

With the ever-increasing dependency on electric power, electrical grid networks are expanding worldwide. Bats exhibit a wide diversity of foraging and flight behaviours, and their sensitivity to anthropogenic stressors suggests this group is very likely to be affected by power lines in a myriad of ways. Yet the effects of power lines on bats remains unknown. Here we assessed the responses of insectivorous bats to very high voltage power lines (VHVPL; greater than 220 kV). We implemented a paired sampling design and monitored bats acoustically at 25 pairs, one pair consisting of one forest edge near to VHVPL matched with one control forest edge. Relative humidity mediates the effects of power lines on bats: we detected bat attraction to VHVPL at high relative humidity levels and avoidance of VHVPL by bats at low relative humidity levels. We argue that the former could be explained by insect attraction to the light emitted by VHVPL owing to corona discharges while the latter may be owing to the physical presence of pylons/cables at foraging height and/or because of electromagnetic fields. Our work highlights the response of bats to power lines at foraging habitats, providing new insight into the interactions between power lines and biodiversity

Acoustic activity of bats at power lines correlates with relative humidity: a potential role for corona discharges

With the ever-increasing dependency on electric power, electrical grid networks are expanding worldwide. Bats exhibit a wide diversity of foraging and flight behaviours, and their sensitivity to anthropogenic stressors suggests this group is very likely to be affected by power lines in a myriad of ways. Yet the effects of power lines on bats remains unknown. Here we assessed the responses of insectivorous bats to very high voltage power lines (VHVPL; greater than 220 kV). We implemented a paired sampling design and monitored bats acoustically at 25 pairs, one pair consisting of one forest edge near to VHVPL matched with one control forest edge. Relative humidity mediates the effects of power lines on bats: we detected bat attraction to VHVPL at high relative humidity levels and avoidance of VHVPL by bats at low relative humidity levels. We argue that the former could be explained by insect attraction to the light emitted by VHVPL owing to corona discharges while the latter may be owing to the physical presence of pylons/cables at foraging height and/or because of electromagnetic fields. Our work highlights the response of bats to power lines at foraging habitats, providing new insight into the interactions between power lines and biodiversity

Transition to organic farming negatively affects bat activity

The effectiveness of organic farming on biodiversity has been widely documented especially for plants, arthropods and birds; however, the effects of the transition period required to become an organic farm on wildlife remain poorly understood. We assessed the effects of organic farming on insectivorous bats in citrus orchards in the Republic of Cyprus employing two matched designs (conventional vs. 3-year organic-transitional and conventional vs. organic-certified) and a third unmatched design (3-year organic-transitional vs. organic-certified). We specifically investigated whether the transition period prior to full organic certification influenced bat activity with a special focus on any moderation effects from surrounding semi-natural areas. The activity of three (Pipistrellus kuhlii, Hypsugo savii and Miniopterus schreibersii) of four bat species was significantly lower in farms undergoing the transitional period than in conventional farms, and P. kuhlii and H. savii were significantly less active in organic transitional farming systems that in organic-certified ones. Furthermore, the activity of the most dominant species (P. kuhlii) was significantly higher on organic than transitional and conventional citrus orchards, thus suggesting a time-lag effect. Landscape complexity measured as the amount of semi-natural areas did not moderate the effects of farming system for any study species. Synthesis and application. The transition to organic farming had persistent detrimental effects on bats and potentially on the pest suppression services they provide. Future agri-environmental policy should consider the transition period and implement measures to mitigate any negative effects on biodiversity, alongside promoting asynchronous transition of nearby farms. Our findings further highlight the crucial need to consider the time since transition to organic farming when assessing potential benefits of organic management on biodiversity

Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity

Renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace globally but as yet there has been little research on the effects of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) developments on bats, many species of which are threatened or protected. We conducted a paired study at 19 ground-mounted solar PV developments in southwest England. We used static detectors to record bat echolocation calls from boundaries (i.e. hedgerows) and central locations (open areas) at fields with solar PV development, and simultaneously at matched sites without solar PV developments (control fields). We used generalised linear mixed-effect models to assess how solar PV developments and boundary habitat affected bat activity and species richness. The activity of six of eight species/species groups analysed was negatively affected by solar PV panels, suggesting that loss and/or fragmentation of foraging/commuting habitat is caused by ground-mounted solar PV panels. Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Nyctalus spp. activity was lower at solar PV sites regardless of the habitat type considered. Negative impacts of solar PV panels at field boundaries were apparent for the activity of Myotis spp. and Eptesicus serotinus, and in open fields for Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Plecotus spp. Bat species richness was greater along field boundaries compared with open fields, but there was no effect of solar PV panels on species richness. Policy implications: Ground-mounted solar photovoltaic developments have a significant negative effect on bat activity, and should be considered in appropriate planning legislation and policy. Solar photovoltaic developments should be screened in Environmental Impact Assessments for ecological impacts, and appropriate mitigation (e.g. maintaining boundaries, planting vegetation to network with surrounding foraging habitat) and monitoring should be implemented to highlight potential negative effects

Tree size, microhabitat diversity and landscape structure determine the value of isolated trees for bats in farmland

Isolated trees are increasingly recognised as playing a vital role in supporting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, yet their occurrence has declined substantially in recent decades. Most bats in Europe are tree-dependent species that rely on woody elements in order to persist in farmlands. However, isolated trees are rarely considered in conservation programs and landscape planning. Further investigations are therefore urgently required to identify which trees – based on both their intrinsic characteristics and their location in the landscape – are particularly important for bats. We acoustically surveyed 57 isolated trees for bats to determine the relative and interactive effects of size, tree-related microhabitat (TreM) diversity and surrounding landscape context on bat activity. Tall trees with large diameter at breast height and crown area positively influenced the activity of Pipistrellus pipistrellus and small Myotis bats (Myotis spp.) while smaller and thinner trees favoured M. myotis activity. The diversity of TreMs that can be used as roosts had a positive effect on (i) Barbastella barbastellus activity only when trees were relatively close (10% within 100 radius scale). The potential benefits of isolated trees for bats result from ecological mechanisms operating at both tree and landscape scales, underlining the crucial need for implementing a multi-scale approach in conservation programs. Maintaining the largest and most TreM-diversified trees located in the most heterogeneous agricultural landscapes will provide the greatest benefits

A species-level trait dataset of bats in Europe and beyond

Knowledge of species' functional traits is essential for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting the impacts of global environmental changes, and assessing the efficiency of conservation measures. Bats are major components of mammalian diversity and occupy a variety of ecological niches and geographic distributions. However, an extensive compilation of their functional traits and ecological attributes is still missing. Here we present EuroBatrait 1.0, the most comprehensive and up-to-date trait dataset covering 47 European bat species. The dataset includes data on 118 traits including genetic composition, physiology, morphology, acoustic signature, climatic associations, foraging habitat, roost type, diet, spatial behaviour, life history, pathogens, phenology, and distribution. We compiled the bat trait data obtained from three main sources: (i) a systematic literature and dataset search, (ii) unpublished data from European bat experts, and (iii) observations from large-scale monitoring programs. EuroBatrait is designed to provide an important data source for comparative and trait-based analyses at the species or community level. the dataset also exposes knowledge gaps in species, geographic and trait coverage, highlighting priorities for future data collection.Additional co-authors: Lisette Cantú-Salazar, Dina K. N. Dechmann, Tiphaine Devaux, Katrine Eldegard, Sasan Fereidouni, Joanna Furmankiewicz, Daniela Hamidovic, Davina L. Hill, Carlos Ibáñez, Jean-François Julien, Javier Juste, Peter Kaňuch, Carmi Korine, Alexis Laforge, Gaëlle Legras, Camille Leroux, Grzegorz Lesiński, Léa Mariton, Julie Marmet, Vanessa A. Mata, Clare M. Mifsud, Victoria Nistreanu, Roberto Novella-Fernandez, Hugo Rebelo, Niamh Roche, Charlotte Roemer, Ireneusz Ruczyński, Rune Sørås, Marcel Uhrin, Adriana Vella, Christian C. Voigt & Orly Razgou

Paysages sonores d'un monde confiné : le projet Silent Cities

International audienceLes réponses politiques à la pandémie de Covid-19 ont entraîné des changements importants dans les paysages sonores des villes du monde entier. D’avril à octobre 2020, le consortium “Silent Cities”, composé de 260 contributeurs de 35 pays, a constitué une collection unique d’enregistrements de paysages sonores pour rendre compte des changements acoustiques locaux dans les zones urbaines. Nous présentons ici cette collection, accompagnée de métadonnées comprenant des descriptions d’observation des contextes d’enregistrements par les contributeurs, des données environnementales, des niveaux de confinement et le calcul des descripteurs acoustiques. Nous avons procédé à une validation technique de l’ensemble de données à l’aide de modèles statistiques exécutés sur un sous-ensemble de paysages sonores annotés manuellement. Nous avons confirmé l’utilité à grande échelle des indices éco-acoustiques et de la reconnaissance automatique des événements sonores sur le jeu de données du projet Silent Cities. Nous espérons que le jeu de données de Silent Cities sera utile pour des recherches dans le domaine multidisciplinaire des sciences de l’environnement

Paysages sonores d'un monde confiné : le projet Silent Cities

International audienceLes réponses politiques à la pandémie de Covid-19 ont entraîné des changements importants dans les paysages sonores des villes du monde entier. D’avril à octobre 2020, le consortium “Silent Cities”, composé de 260 contributeurs de 35 pays, a constitué une collection unique d’enregistrements de paysages sonores pour rendre compte des changements acoustiques locaux dans les zones urbaines. Nous présentons ici cette collection, accompagnée de métadonnées comprenant des descriptions d’observation des contextes d’enregistrements par les contributeurs, des données environnementales, des niveaux de confinement et le calcul des descripteurs acoustiques. Nous avons procédé à une validation technique de l’ensemble de données à l’aide de modèles statistiques exécutés sur un sous-ensemble de paysages sonores annotés manuellement. Nous avons confirmé l’utilité à grande échelle des indices éco-acoustiques et de la reconnaissance automatique des événements sonores sur le jeu de données du projet Silent Cities. Nous espérons que le jeu de données de Silent Cities sera utile pour des recherches dans le domaine multidisciplinaire des sciences de l’environnement