Suchergebnisse

Abstract Context Monitoring schemes provide vital data on the distribution and population dynamics of species. This information can be used to inform conservation management and, especially for legally protected species, ensure legislative compliance in development contexts. For bats, acoustic activity surveys are widely used and often involve (1) deployment of automated fixed-point detectors or (2) using bat detectors on walked or driven transects. Transect surveys are typically performed for 2 h, commencing approximately at sunset; automated fixed-point surveys record continually between sunset and sunrise, often over multiple consecutive nights. Aims Despite both walked transects and fixed-point surveys being common methods used to survey bat activity in many parts of the world, often just one technique is used per site. We test the similarity of these two survey methods by comparing acoustic data encompassing 12 species of European bat to determine whether data from different surveys are directly comparable. Methods In this study, we use acoustic data covering 2349 survey hours over a 3-year period to investigate the relative effectiveness of walked activity transects and automated fixed-point methods for 12 species of European bats. Key results A greater number of bat species were recorded via the fixed-point method. Three species, namely, greater horseshoe (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), lesser horseshoe (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and Daubenton's (Myotis daubentonii), were recorded only by using automated detectors, possibly because the survey window encompassed the entire night rather than the period immediately after sunset. However, activity transects recorded a significantly higher mean species richness per hour than fixed-point surveys. When both methods were used at the same sites on the same nights, providing paired data for direct comparison, detection of brown long-eared (Plecotus auratus) and soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) bat activity was significantly higher for transect surveys. Conclusions and implications This study demonstrated important differences in the data resulting from different bat survey methods and highlighted the potential for combining acoustic survey types to obtain rigorous and reliable monitoring data for bat populations.

Bat activity surveys are essential in the contexts of scientific research, conservation, assessment of ecosystem health, monitoring progress towards sustainable development goals, and legislative compliance in development and infrastructure construction. However, environmental conditions have the potential to influence bat activity and, in turn, their detectability in acoustic surveys. Here we use 3242 hours of acoustic survey data from 323 nights of bat monitoring at 14 sites over a 4-year period to explore the influence of spatiotemporal factors, lunar phase and weather conditions on bat activity. All spatiotemporal and abiotic factors analysed (site, hour post sunset, length of night, duration of moonlight, temperature, rain, wind and cloud cover) contributed to the optimal multivariate model for at least one bat species/genus; all factors except cloud cover and temperature were significant in the optimal model for total bat activity. However, there were notable species-specific differences. Among the key findings were differences between Pipistrellus species, with periods of rainfall being negatively related to soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus registrations but not those of common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus. In addition, overcast conditions showed a strong positive relationship with the number of Myotis registrations while duration of moonlight was positively correlated with common pipistrelle. Temperature was only important for Nyctalus species. These findings demonstrate that understanding the effect multifaceted and interlinked environmental factors on the activity of different bat species is a vital step in developing maximally effective survey protocols, which, in turn, will improve the reliability of conservation and planning decisions underpinned by survey data.

Engaging people with controversial and emotive issues that are inherently complex is challenging, especially when those issues are multifaceted or multidisciplinary, span environmental, economic, social, and political contexts, are global in scope, or where circumstances and implications differ spatially. Teaching such issues requires teachers and learners to navigate a challenging landscape of nuance and conflicting perspectives; immersive place-based learning might facilitate more meaningful exploration of such issues, but this has not previously been studied. In a multi-institution international study, we surveyed 164 participants (12 groups; 9 institutions) before and after an immersive fieldtrip in South Africa to assess perceptions on contentious issues. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed that participants had statistically significant opinion shifts for 17 of 18 statements, including those where change was likely due to improved knowledge or indicative of deeper attitude shifts. Generalised Linear Modelling revealed that propensity for opinion shifts was not influenced by demographics (age, gender), location (country of origin) or trip type (formal or informal). We conclude that in an increasingly complex world, context-relevant immersive experiences that facilitate deep learning by providing opportunities to explore contentious issues in situ are an ever-more valuable tool, not just for attainment but also for developing personal perspectives and as a catalyst for societal transitions.