PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Spain’s Extremadura region hosts an important diversity of bat populations including Europe’s largest known breeding colonies of Rinolophus ferrumequinum, Rinolophus mehelyi and Myotis emarginatus species. Based on the abundance of these and other chiropters, 23 pSCIs have been designated in Extermadura, all of which were target sites for the project.
OBJECTIVES
The project’s main aim focused on strengthening the conservation status of priority bat populations in Extremadura’s Natura 2000 network. Core goals included improving knowledge on the region’s bat species, via monitoring programmes and habitat analysis, in order to inform new plans for supporting long term recovery and management of endangered chiropters.
RESULTS
The beneficiary successfully carried out Extremadura’s first comprehensive census of bats. This revealed that the region’s bat populations were larger than originally anticipated and also had a wider range than expected. Useful information was gained, and integrated within a GIS, about conservation factors such as water availability, human disturbance, pesticide presence and security at refuges. Other important biological baseline information was also collected and the combination of new knowledge proved crucial for establishing appropriate conservation strategies within species’ recovery plans, which were approved for Rhinolophus mehelyi, Rhinolophus euryale and Myotis beschteinii.
Tangible bat conservation actions were also carried out to address urgent threats. These included: using bat-sensitive fencing at the entrances of refuges to prevent habitat disturbance by humans or other species; installing nest boxes; improving the suitability of abandoned mines for bat colonisation; providing water points; and constructing alternative refuges for bat colonies located in the Yuste Monastery. The latter required a considerable amount of stakeholder participation and the approach applied offers beneficial demonstration value for similar circumstances seeking to balance the needs of species conservation with human settlements.
Sustainability of the project’s outcomes has been assisted by LIFE’s investment in the region’s monitoring capacities for bat species. These skills and methodologies are being integrated into the beneficiary’s conservation mandate, and the good practice conservation guidelines produced by the project are also helping regional stakeholders mainstream chiropteran management considerations in their activities.
Other important legacies include the establishment of a new national working group for chiropterans, which was created during the project’s final seminar, and public awareness about bat conservation requirements has been raised throughout the region.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section). The beneficiary successfully carried out Extremadura’s first comprehensive census of bats. This revealed that the region’s bat populations were larger than originally anticipated and also had a wider range than expected. Useful information was gained, and integrated within a GIS, about conservation factors such as water availability, human disturbance, pesticide presence and security at refuges. Other important biological baseline information was also collected and the combination of new knowledge proved crucial for establishing appropriate conservation strategies within species’ recovery plans, which were approved for Rhinolophus mehelyi, Rhinolophus euryale and Myotis beschteinii.Tangible bat conservation actions were also carried out to address urgent threats. These included: using bat-sensitive fencing at the entrances of refuges to prevent habitat disturbance by humans or other species; installing nest boxes; improving the suitability of abandoned mines for bat colonisation; providing water points; and constructing alternative refuges for bat colonies located in the Yuste Monastery. The latter required a considerable amount of stakeholder participation and the approach applied offers beneficial demonstration value for similar circumstances seeking to balance the needs of species conservation with human settlements.
Sustainability of the project’s outcomes has been assisted by LIFE’s investment in the region’s monitoring capacities for bat species. These skills and methodologies are being integrated into the beneficiary’s conservation mandate, and the good practice conservation guidelines produced by the project are also helping regional stakeholders mainstream chiropteran management considerations in their activities.
Other important legacies include the establishment of a new national working group for chiropterans, which was created during the project’s final seminar, and public awareness about bat conservation requirements has been raised throughout the region.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).