Volume 191, November 2015, Pages 38–49
A novel citizen science approach for large-scale standardised monitoring of bat activity and distribution, evaluated in eastern England
Highlights
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- We describe a novel citizen science approach for extensive standardised recording of bats.
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- Over 600,000 bat recordings were generated over two years.
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- A semi-automated step-wise method for assigning recordings to species is presented.
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- Pronounced seasonal patterns consistent with post-breeding dispersal are shown.
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- Maps of activity were produced which are likely to reflect underlying spatial variation in relative abundance.
Abstract
In
many countries, bats have high conservation prioritisation owing to
their trophic position, habitat associations and threat level, and many
have dedicated management plans. However, poor knowledge of species'
ecology, identification issues and surveying challenges mean that
large-scale monitoring to produce required distribution and abundance
information is less developed than for some other taxa. Static detectors
deployed to record bats throughout whole nights have been recommended
for standardised acoustic monitoring but to date their cost has
prohibited wide uptake. Here we describe an extensive survey approach in
which members of the public borrowed detectors to participate in a
large-scale monitoring and mapping project. Covering a 15% sample of the
study area over two years, the survey generated over 600,000 bat
recordings. We describe a semi-automated step-wise method for processing
this large volume of recordings to assign identity to species or genus
level with low error rates. Twelve species were recorded during the
survey, ranging from the near ubiquitous Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus to the locally scarce Leisler's bat Nyctalus leisleri.
We show pronounced patterns of seasonality consistent with
post-breeding dispersal and new information on nocturnal activity
patterns. Using regression trees we generate new maps of standardised
variation in activity which is likely to reflect underlying spatial
variation in relative abundance. These reveal hitherto unknown patterns
for species of superficially similar status. We conclude that with
logistical support and centralised automated species identification it
is now possible for the public to contribute to acoustic bat monitoring
at an unprecedented scale.
Keywords
- Bats;
- Chiroptera;
- Survey methods;
- Bat activity;
- Species distribution;
- Citizen science;
- Automated acoustic monitoring
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
