Journal article
Differential use of highway underpasses by bats
M Bhardwaj, K Soanes, TM Straka, JJ Lahoz-Monfort, LF Lumsden, R van der Ree
Biological Conservation | ELSEVIER SCI LTD | Published : 2017
Abstract
Roads can form barriers to movement for many species, and may reduce the ability of individuals to access foraging and breeding habitat. The impacts of roads on terrestrial fauna has been well studied, however little is known of the impact of roads on insectivorous bats. Wildlife crossing structures (e.g. fauna underpasses) may reduce the barrier impacts of roads and improve connectivity across roads. Use of underpasses by wildlife likely varies among species depending on their movement behaviour. In this study, we investigated whether the flight patterns of insectivorous bats influenced their use of underpasses. We monitored bat activity under and above 6 open-span bridges, 6 box culverts a..
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Awarded by Earthwatch Institute
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by The Baker Foundation, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Earthwatch Institute and Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. Research conducted under Scientific Permit 10006093 granted by the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning and Animal Ethics Permits 1413339.1 and 1413339.2 granted by the Animal Ethics Committee at the University of Melbourne. VicRoads facilitated access to study sites. Thank you to T. Quillinan, C. Wilson, J. Ainley, L. Harrison, and H. Fraser for help and support throughout the project, and to T. Regan for constructive comments on an earlier draft. Finally, we would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their comments on the manuscript.