Do young eucalypt plantations benefit bats in an intensive agricultural landscape?

Abstract

Context Environmental benefits of timber plantations have been a major selling point for land use change from previously cleared farmland, but data concerning the response of biodiversity are scarce. Aims We investigated the use of young (411 years old) timber plantations by bats in comparison with other vegetation classes in a highly cleared and productive agricultural landscape in north-west New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods Initially, we recorded activity in paddocks before plantation establishment, and then four to six years after establishment. We compared activity within young eucalypt plantations with surrounding paddocks and remnant woodland. We also radio-tracked four differ..