Threats to Bats and Educational Challenges

Tuttle, Merlin D.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7397-8_18

Cited by 18 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…As a result, uncontrolled human disturbance often leads to decreases in numbers of bats roosting in caves and mines (Tuttle 2013). For instance, disturbance in caves in West Virginia, USA, occupied by the Indiana myotis (M. sodalis) and Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) resulted in a decline from 1137 bats to 286 in one cave and from 560 to 168 in another (Stihler and Hall 1993).…”

Section: Incidental Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Removal of vegetation at cave entrances may also alter airflows and temperatures within a cave to such an extent that its habitable portions are reduced or eliminated (Sheffield et al 1992). Conversely, alien plants may overgrow cave entrances and prevent their use as roosts (Gerlach and Taylor 2006) and other invasive species such as feral cats have been identified as predators of cave-dwelling bats (Rodriguez-Durán et al 2010;Tuttle 2013). More dramatically, large water projects can flood caves through reservoir creation and groundwater recharge efforts.…”

Section: Extractive Industriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USA, substantial progress has been achieved and some artificial roosts now provide the only hope of recovery for local populations. For instance, two large bat houses built in 1991 and 2010 in Gainesville, Florida contained 300,000 bats in 2012 (mostly T. brasiliensis), more than all the natural roosts in the state combined (Tuttle 2013).…”

Section: Artificial Hibernacula and Maternity Roostsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation Ecology of Cave Bats

Furey¹,

Racey

2015

Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World

113

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Caves and other subterranean sites such as mines are critical to the survival of hundreds of bat species worldwide, since they often provide shelter for most of a nation's bat fauna. In the temperate zone, caves provide roosts for hibernation and for some species, breeding in summer, whereas in warmer regions, they support high species richness year round and enormous colonies that maintain substantial ecosystem services. Due to the solubility of the substrate, the highest densities of caves occur in karst landscapes. Given their importance for bats, relatively few studies have investigated factors involved in cave selection, although current evidence suggests that the density and size of caves are the best predictors of species diversity and population sizes. Thermal preferences have been established for some cave-dwelling species as well as their vulnerability to disturbance, particularly during hibernation and reproduction. Growth in limestone quarrying and cave tourism industries worldwide severely threatens cave-dwelling bats, in addition to loss of foraging habitat, hunting for bushmeat, incidental disturbance and disruptive guano harvesting. Apparent declines of cave bats in Europe and North America also pose serious concerns, as do global climate change predictions. The main conservation response to threats to cave bats in these continents

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Section: Incidental Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Extractive Industriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Artificial Hibernacula and Maternity Roostsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation Ecology of Cave Bats

Furey¹,

Racey

2015

Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World

113

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“…While the impact of visitor disturbance on population recruitment cannot be empirically assessed due to the absence of historical data for cave bat populations in Cambodia, it is nonetheless likely to have been considerable and raises a conservation concern. Uncontrolled human disturbance often leads to decreases in numbers of bats roosting in caves [ 53 ] and numerous studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of cave tourism in particular [ 7 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Because many caves in Cambodia are affected to varying extents by development for tourism and domestic ritualistic purposes [ 19 ], we advocate for increased emphasis on sustainable cave management practices [ 59 ] nationally, particularly for tourist sites (which almost invariably comprise Buddhist shrines visited by foreigners and nationals [ 19 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insectivorous bat reproduction and human cave visitation in Cambodia: A perfect conservation storm?

et al. 2018

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Cave roosting bats represent an important component of Southeast Asian bat diversity and are vulnerable to human disturbance during critical reproductive periods (pregnancy, lactation and weaning). Because dramatic growth of cave tourism in recent decades has raised concerns about impacts on cave bats in the region, we assessed the reproductive phenology of two insectivorous species (Hipposideros larvatus sensu lato and Taphozous melanopogon) at three caves in Cambodia for 23 months in 2014–2016 and evaluated human visitation to these sites between 2007 and 2014. Despite the differing foraging strategies employed by the two taxa, the temporal consistency observed in proportions of pregnant, lactating and juvenile bats indicates that their major birth peaks coincide with the time of greatest cave visitation annually, particularly for domestic visitors and namely during the Cambodian new year in April. They also reflect rainfall patterns and correspond with the reproductive phenology of insectivorous cave bats in Vietnam. These findings were predictable because 1) insect biomass and thus food availability for insectivorous bats are optimal for ensuring survival of young following this period, and 2) the Khmer new year is the most significant month for religious ceremonies and thus domestic cave visitation nationally, due to the abundance of Buddhist shrines and temples in Cambodian caves. While the impact of visitor disturbance on bat population recruitment cannot be empirically assessed due to lack of historical data, it is nonetheless likely to have been considerable and raises a conservation concern. Further, because growing evidence suggests that insectivorous cave bats exhibit reproductive synchrony across continental Southeast Asia where countless cave shrines are heavily frequented during April in Theravada Buddhist countries (e.g., Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos), our results may have wider applicability in the region. We consequently advocate for increased emphasis on sustainable cave management practices in Cambodia and further investigations to determine whether our findings present a broader concern for cave bat conservation in Southeast Asia.

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“…Despite the ecosystem services that bats provide, they are often feared by the public due to their association with vampire lore and role as vectors of rabies and other zoonotic diseases (Tuttle, 2013). The negative public risk perceptions of and attitudes toward bats has challenged bat conservation in the U.S. (Frick et al, 2019).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%