The use of bat boxes by insectivorous bats and other fauna in the greater Brisbane region

Rhodes, Monika; Jones, Darryl

doi:10.7882/fs.2011.043

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The low box use documented in this and previous Australian studies and lack of species diversity or lack of maternity roosting (e.g. Calder et al ; Smith & Agnew ; Bender ; Rhodes & Jones ; Griffiths et al ), indicates that our knowledge of implementing bat box programs is inadequate to achieve an effective conservation outcome for most Australian bat species. This suggests the importance of implementing a hollow‐bearing tree clearing avoidance strategy wherever feasible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Limited use of bat boxes in a rural landscape: implications for offsetting the clearing of hollow‐bearing trees

Rueegger

Goldingay

Law

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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Bat boxes frequently form part of hollow-bearing tree offsets; however, their effectiveness is poorly documented. We investigated the effectiveness of a bat box program designed to partially offset tree hollow loss from clearing for a coal mine. During the first year of monitoring, we detected bats in 5% of 1,308 box checks. Only 3 of 13 local tree cavity-roosting bat species/species groups used boxes and occupancy was not strongly associated with modeled box and site attributes. In the second year, we tested two hypotheses that may explain the relatively low box use: (1) solar exposure of boxes was inadequate for heterothermic bats and (2) available box designs were of low suitability. Relocating boxes to increase solar exposure did not increase use, or enhance the temperature profiles of relocated boxes. Introduction of a new box design led to 11 times higher use compared with existing designs for Nyctophilus spp. (long-eared bat). Overall, our data suggest that the bat box program was ineffective due to few bat species using boxes, infrequent box use by three species, and rarity of maternity roosting. The knowledge gap of species-specific box designs and roosting ecology limits the effectiveness of boxes to offset cleared hollow-bearing trees. Lack of knowledge and the widespread use of bat boxes to offset lost tree hollows highlights the need to (1) rigorously protect hollow-bearing trees and (2) advance our understanding of species-specific roost ecology, box design preferences and mechanical hollow creation into trees, before artificial hollows can be considered a meaningful offset measure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Limited use of bat boxes in a rural landscape: implications for offsetting the clearing of hollow‐bearing trees

Rueegger

Goldingay

Law

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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“…Smith and Agnew (2002) found that Gould's Long-eared Bat was the only species to use bat boxes, of 22 hollow-using bat species in their study region in southeast Queensland. Rhodes and Jones (2011) also found limited uptake of nest boxes by bats in their south-eastern Queensland study area. Nest boxes as a management strategy for providing roost sites in logged areas presents a number of problems.…”

Section: The Utility Of Nest Boxes For Batsmentioning

confidence: 81%

Four issues influencing the management of hollow-using bats of the Pilliga forests of inland New South Wales

Parnaby¹,

Lunney²,

Fleming³

2011

The Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats

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Four issues influencing the management of hollow-dependent bats are examined for the Pilliga forests of inland NSW. These are: 1) the longevity of eucalypts and implications for the strategies for retaining hollow trees; 2) the condition of the forests and woodlands of the Pilliga at the time of European settlement, focusing on densities of hollow trees; 3) the impact of fire and climate change on loss of tree hollows; and 4) the implications of recent ecological research on perceptions of the vulnerability of hollow-using bats. We argue the need for an urgent reevaluation of these issues. Average tree longevity is likely to be much greater than previously acknowledged, the pre-European Pilliga was a forest with hollow-bearing tree densities approximating those of coastal and montane forests, rather than being an open woodland; and fire will significantly reduce the numbers of hollow trees. Consequently, hollow-using bats in the Pilliga are more vulnerable than previously realised, and densities of hollow-bearing trees need to be quantified across tenures. We suggest that densities of hollow-bearing trees to be retained under current logging prescriptions need to be revised upwards. A cross-tenure approach to management is needed, given that the Pilliga forests are about evenly divided between forest managed by DECCW and by Forests NSW, i.e. the difference between conservation and commercial priorities. We conclude that the protection of remaining hollow-bearing trees is the only effective option for managing the hollow-dependent bats in the Pilliga. We predict that local extinctions of a range of hollow-using bat species will occur without active management and monitoring to protect the remaining hollow-bearing trees, and the intermediate-aged, hollowrecruit trees, from logging and fire.

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“…Unfortunately, there is little knowledge on whether bat boxes indirectly influence local species assemblages (Bender, 2005;Evans & Lumsden, 2011;Griffiths et al, 2017;Rhodes & Jones, 2011). Disturbance-tolerant species have a natural competitive advantage as they use and exploit characteristics of the urban habitat, including open spaces and artificial lights (Griffiths et al, 2017;Haddock, 2019;Rhodes & Jones, 2011;Threlfall et al, 2012b). Habitat supplementation may accentuate the competitive advantage of these species that already do well in urban habitats, potentially altering bat community composition and diversity in surrounding areas (Griffiths et al, 2019(Griffiths et al, , 2020.…”

Section: R E S E a R C H A R T I C L Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Bat boxes in urban bushland are associated with inflated activity of an urban generalist bat, but not an altered community

Velasco,

French,

Law

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

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Bat boxes are often installed as substitute habitats to offset the loss of large, hollow‐bearing trees. However, emerging evidence suggests that they are failing to achieve intended conservation outcomes as they only support generalist species. Despite these concerns, the effect of bat boxes on the dynamics of bat communities remains understudied. We assessed the bat community in reserves where bat boxes had been installed in comparison with reserves where they had not using ultrasonic surveys in 16 small bushland reserves throughout Sydney, Australia. Reserves containing bat boxes and those without had comparable species diversity and composition; however, the activity of the dominant species, Gould's wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii), was significantly higher at sites with bat boxes. Species that commonly forage in open vegetation, including C. gouldii, were significantly positively associated with sites that had bat boxes. Occupation of boxes by bats was not recorded in the study due to limited information on their locations, so further research is required to understand the direct effects of boxes and the bats that occupy them on the bat community. If bat boxes continue to be recommended as a biodiversity offset, a greater understanding of the potential impact they have on altered competitive relationships and community dynamics is essential.

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The use of bat boxes by insectivorous bats and other fauna in the greater Brisbane region

Cited by 11 publications

References 24 publications

Limited use of bat boxes in a rural landscape: implications for offsetting the clearing of hollow‐bearing trees

Limited use of bat boxes in a rural landscape: implications for offsetting the clearing of hollow‐bearing trees

Four issues influencing the management of hollow-using bats of the Pilliga forests of inland New South Wales

Bat boxes in urban bushland are associated with inflated activity of an urban generalist bat, but not an altered community

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