HighlightsTo date, roads have been considered a threat to bats mainly due to the effect of habitat degradation and collisions with cars.Insects may be attracted to roads and hence roads may be a good foraging habitat for bats.We compared the number of passes of bats recorded on asphalt roads to those on unsurfaced forest roads.Open air foragers had a greater number of passes and feeding activity on asphalt roads.Asphalt roads of low to medium traffic volume enhance the important foraging environment of several bat species.

    AbstractThe most negative impacts of roads on bats are increased mortality caused by collisions with vehicles, noise pollution reducing both communication and foraging, and barriers to movement. To test the effect of roads and traffic on the occurrence and foraging habits of bats in forested landscapes in western Poland we compared 53 sites located along local asphalt roads of low to medium traffic volume with paired reference sites on unsurfaced forest roads. Acoustical monitoring systems with Anabat detectors were used at night to detect bats at all sites. Overall, we found a strongly significant preference of bats for local asphalt roads; 640 bat passes were recorded at asphalt roads but only 271 at reference sites. Furthermore, significantly more bat taxa, longer activity and a greater frequency of feeding buzzes (calls used during foraging) were also recorded at asphalt roads. However, significant benefits were not shown for all species. This study clearly shows that local asphalt roads in forested landscapes are important foraging areas for several bat species.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff prüfen

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen

    Bestellung bei Subito €


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Effects of local roads and car traffic on the occurrence pattern and foraging behaviour of bats


    Beteiligte:


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2017-01-01


    Format / Umfang :

    7 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch





    Bats and Roads

    Abbott, Isobel M. / Berthinussen, Anna / Stone, Emma et al. | Wiley | 2015


    Estimation of Traffic Volume on Rural Local Roads

    Seaver, William L. / Chatterjee, Arun / Seaver, Mark L. | Transportation Research Record | 2000


    Estimation of Traffic Volume on Rural Local Roads

    Seaver, William L. | Online Contents | 2000


    Roads and traffic

    Bressey, C. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1938