TY - JOUR
T1 - Avoiding a conservation pitfall
T2 - Considering the risks of unsuitably hot bat boxes
AU - Crawford, Reed D.
AU - O'Keefe, Joy M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Conservation Science and Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Bat boxes are commonly deployed to mitigate the loss of bat roosting habitat. Due to a dearth of microclimate research, numerous untested commercially available bat boxes, and the uncertain impacts of a rapidly changing climate, the overheating risk presented to bats by bat boxes is largely unquantified. Based on limited research, we know many boxes overheat (i.e., temperatures >40°C). A lack of standardized protocols to evaluate microclimate and misleading information available to the public leads to a murky understanding of risks involved with deploying bat boxes. Herein, we evaluate the thermal tolerance of temperate-zone bats, delineate areas of concern regarding the risks to temperate-zone bats when bat boxes are deployed, identify strategies for reducing overheating risk, suggest methods for assessing microclimate, and provide a visual framework to assess overheating risk. Identifying suitable design and placement combinations is crucial to developing region-specific strategies to mitigate against overheating. We urge consideration of the risks involved with using bat boxes, advocate for rigorous testing before deployment, and suggest using alternatives when possible.
AB - Bat boxes are commonly deployed to mitigate the loss of bat roosting habitat. Due to a dearth of microclimate research, numerous untested commercially available bat boxes, and the uncertain impacts of a rapidly changing climate, the overheating risk presented to bats by bat boxes is largely unquantified. Based on limited research, we know many boxes overheat (i.e., temperatures >40°C). A lack of standardized protocols to evaluate microclimate and misleading information available to the public leads to a murky understanding of risks involved with deploying bat boxes. Herein, we evaluate the thermal tolerance of temperate-zone bats, delineate areas of concern regarding the risks to temperate-zone bats when bat boxes are deployed, identify strategies for reducing overheating risk, suggest methods for assessing microclimate, and provide a visual framework to assess overheating risk. Identifying suitable design and placement combinations is crucial to developing region-specific strategies to mitigate against overheating. We urge consideration of the risks involved with using bat boxes, advocate for rigorous testing before deployment, and suggest using alternatives when possible.
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U2 - 10.1111/csp2.412
DO - 10.1111/csp2.412
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122104899
SN - 2578-4854
VL - 3
JO - Conservation Science and Practice
JF - Conservation Science and Practice
IS - 6
M1 - e412
ER -