Effective conservation of subterranean-roosting bats

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Subterranean Ecosystems

Background:

• Bats are vital to subterranean food webs but face increasing threats.
• Effective conservation strategies for subterranean-roosting bats are urgently needed.
• Understanding intervention effectiveness is crucial for protecting these species.

Approach:

• A meta-analysis evaluated 910 conservation interventions from 345 papers on subterranean-roosting bats.
• Network analyses explored overlap between bat and other subterranean taxa interventions.
• Data synthesis assessed the impact of specific interventions like gating, restoration, and decontamination.

Key Points:

• Habitat restoration and disturbance reduction showed positive impacts on bat populations and behavior.
• Decontamination was effective, especially against fungal spores linked to white-nose syndrome.
• Gating roost entrances had unclear effectiveness; monitoring was infrequently tested.
• Few studies considered other subterranean organisms alongside bats, despite intervention similarities.

Conclusions:

• Habitat restoration and disturbance reduction are key effective conservation strategies for bats.
• Interventions for bats can benefit other subterranean organisms, highlighting the need for integrated ecosystem approaches.
• Further research is needed to clarify the effectiveness of monitoring and roost gating techniques.