roost boxes as a tool in the conservation of microbats ... · native habitat since european...

Roost‐boxes as a tool in the conservation of

tree roosting microbats (Microchiroptera) in

a highly‐modified agricultural landscape

Quarry Life Award Research Project, Australia

Project Topic: Biodiversity and Rehabilitation

Stephen Griffiths

July 2012

Department of Zoology

The University of Melbourne

Victoria 3010 Australia

Telephone: +61 3 8344 6244

Fax: +61 3 8344 7909

Roost-boxes as a tool in the conservation of tree roosting microbats

1

Abstract

The loss, modification and fragmentation of natural habitats constitute a major threat to bat

populations worldwide. This is particularly relevant in Australia where extensive loss of

native habitat since European settlement has resulted in significant negative pressure on

microbats (Microchiroptera), the majority of which rely on tree hollows for roosting.

However, because microbats are small, nocturnal and remain hidden in roosts during the

day, few people are aware of the diversity or abundance of bats that roost in trees in both

urban and rural areas. I used bat detectors to examine activity of microbats at two sites in a

highly-modified agricultural matrix. The species assemblage recorded comprised the

majority of microbat species known to occur in the Western Volcanic Plains region of

Victoria. A total of 6,214 echolocation call sequences were recorded over 39 consecutive

nights at the two sites. Considerable variation in activity was documented both within and

between nights. The echolocation data revealed minimal levels of foraging activity. At one

site, social calls were recorded in the hour prior to civil twilight (i.e. prior to nightfall) on

17 nights, providing indirect evidence of bats roosting diurnally in tree hollows within an

isolated stand of mature Eucalyptus cladocalyx. Artificial roosting boxes (bat-boxes) were

installed to provide supplementary roosting habitat as an initial step toward investigating

the efficacy of bat-boxes as a targeted conservation tool within the framework of a long-

term ecological management and restoration plan. The presence and activity of microbats

recorded in this study, and specifically the detection of social calls produced by diurnally

roosting bats, has implications for the management and rehabilitation of isolated patches of

land within highly-modified agricultural landscapes. Increasing the awareness of land

managers and decision makers to the benefits of these species (e.g. regulation of

herbivorous insect abundance), will enhance knowledge of this faunal group in the

community and provide further reasons for prioritising the management and conservation

of scattered trees within urban and rural environments.


2

Introduction

A wide variety of vertebrate taxa use tree hollows (also referred to as tree holes or cavities)

for shelter and as breeding sites (Goldingay 2009). Worldwide there are approximately 260

species of bird and 360 species of non-flying mammals that use tree cavities (Newton 1994;

Novak 1999), while in Australia, as many as 300 native vertebrate species (birds, bats,

arboreal marsupials, reptiles and frogs) use tree hollows (Gibbons and Lindenmayer 2002;

Kunz and Lumsden 2003; Goldingay and Stevens 2009).

Bats are among the most threatened fauna in Australia, with 36 species listed under The

Action Plan For Australian Bats (Duncan et al. 1999). Day-roost sites have been identified

as a key limiting resource for microbat conservation, but we know almost nothing about the

causes and consequences of roosting in different types of tree hollows or artificial nesting

boxes (Turbill 2006; Goldingay 2011). The dramatic decline of Australian native habitats

since European settlement has led to a growing awareness of the impact of habitat loss on

native fauna, and revegetation efforts, both in farmland (Kavanagh et al. 2007) and in

suburbia (Harper et al. 2005a,b), are increasingly common. However, trees planted now

may take up to 100 years to develop hollows suitable for use by wildlife (Lindenmayer et

al. 1993; Weinberg et al. 2011). Therefore, while revegetated areas can provide foraging

habitat for bats soon after planting, the lack of hollows may limit colonisation of these areas

as roosting habitat.

One short to medium term method of compensating for limited roosting sites is to install

nesting boxes (bat-boxes) as substitutes for natural hollows (Arnett and Hayes 2000;

Brittingham and Williams 2000; Flaquer et al. 2005; Lesinski et al. 2009). There have been

few studies of bat-box use in Australia, particularly in agricultural regions, and

consequently relatively little is known of the use and preferred designs of bat-boxes by

Australian tree roosting microbats (Irvine and Bender 1995; Smith and Agnew 2002;

Goldingay and Stevens 2009). My objective in the present study was to examine microbat

activity in a highly-modified agricultural landscape and conducted a preliminary

assessment of the efficacy of bat-boxes as a targeted conservation tool within the

framework of a long-term ecological management and restoration plan. Specifically, I

investigated: (1) temporal patterns (hourly and nightly) in bat activity; (2) the diversity of


3

species present; (3) the level of foraging activity; and (4) the potential value of deploying

bat-boxes as a short to medium term conservation tool.

Methods

Study sites

I conducted fieldwork at two former sheep grazing properties located in the Western

Volcanic Plains of Victoria, Australia. The region is characterised by temperate grassland

and grassy eucalypt woodland, now dominated by introduced grassland species, with

sparsely scattered paddock trees and occasional trees planted along fence lines as

windbreaks (DEWHA 2008). In 2008, the Australian government upgraded the listing of

the natural temperate grassland and the grassy eucalypt woodland of the Volcanic Plains of

Victoria to critically endangered, the most protected conservation status under the Federal

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (DSEWPC 2011). The

climate of the Western Volcanic Plains is temperate with warm to hot summers (average

summer maximum 24.6°C) and cool to cold winters (average winter maximum 12.6°C).

Rainfall on the plains ranges from 600 to 800 mm per annum and occurs mostly between

April and November. Annual average rainfall at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Hamilton Airport monitoring station (37°38'39.04'' S, 142°00'47.74'' E) is 685.7 mm

(Australian Bureau of Meteorology 2012).

The Warrayure Conservation Offset Site (37°44'05.65'' S, 142°12'47.93'' E) is located 230

km west of Melbourne, 14 km south-west of Dunkeld and 17 km east of Hamilton. The

Warrayure site has an area of 58 hectares, comprised predominantly of degraded grassland

with small patches of mature Eucalyptus cladocalyx. The site is on the north shore of Lake

Linlithgow, and it adjoins the Lake Linlithgow Nature Reserve. The Strathkellar

Conservation Offset Site (37°43'24.48'' S, 142°07'50.02'' E) is located 10 km west of the

Warrayure site, 20 km south-west of Dunkeld and 12 km east of Hamilton. The Strathkellar

site has an area of 80 hectares, comprised of highly degraded grassland and creek line

tussock grassland. Native tree species are limited to a small patch of Acacia melanoxylon

along the southeast boundary. The property is bordered by the Glenelg Highway to the

south and Rhooks Road to the northeast. Both the Warrayure and Strathkellar Conservation

Offse

the im

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5

Bennett 2005; Adams et al. 2010). I used an existing identification key developed to

identify the species in the Grampians region of Victoria (Arthur Rylah Institute for

Environmental Research 2012). Using the Grampians key, AnaScheme identifies call

sequences to species, except for Nyctophilus and Mormopterus, which are grouped by

genus. A list of microbat species known to occur in the Western Volcanic Plains of Victoria

is provided in Appendix 1.

Call sequences for all taxa recorded were grouped to investigate activity patterns of the

entire microbat community. Hourly activity patterns were recorded as the mean number of

call sequences recorded per hour after civil twilight for all species during the survey period.

Civil twilight times were accessed from Geoscience Australia (2012). Call sequences were

screened manually for buzz calls associated with pursuit and capture of prey. Foraging buzz

calls are characterised by a rapid increase in pulse repetition rate, slope, frequency and

speed (Griffin et al. 1960; Schnitzler et al. 1987). Call sequences were also examined for

social calls: distinctive audible contact calls made by bats from within roost sites before

leaving for the night to forage (Aldridge et al. 1990; Pfalzer and Kusch 2003; Arnold and

Wilkinson 2011).

Results

Bat activity

Over 39 consecutive nights from 20 April to 28 May 2012 (78 detector-nights) I identified

6,214 bat call sequences from 11,531 files (53.9%). A total of 5,474 and 740 call sequences

were recorded at the Warrayure and Strathkellar sites respectively. Bat activity was

recorded on every night at Warrayure, and on the majority of nights at Strathkellar (zero

call sequences recorded on 4 nights (10.3%)). Considerable variation in the nightly number

of bat call sequences was documented at both sites. An average (± standard error) of

140.4±26.7 call sequences per night was recorded at Warrayure, with a nightly maximum

of 775 calls (20 April 2012) and minimum of 15 (21 May 2012). At Strathkellar an average

of 19±5.2 call sequences per night was recorded, with a nightly maximum of 163 calls (20

April 2012) (Figure 2).

FigurStrath Hour

Hour

hour

more

sites.

hour

Figurthe Wcivil tw

e 2. Numbehkellar Conse

rly activity

rly activity p

after civil tw

e than 60%

A total of

prior to civi

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wilight.

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er of echoloervation Offse

patterns wer

wilight (Wa

of all calls

45 call seq

il twilight, i

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arrayure 18.

were record

quences (0.8

i.e. prior to n

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sequences re

t both sites w

.9% and Str

ded in the f

8% of total

nightfall (Fi

equences per ion Offset Sit

he conservat

ecorded each

with greates

rathkellar 41

first four ho

calls) were

igure 3).

night detectetes. The -1 ca

tion of tree

h night at t

st activity re

1.6% of call

ours after civ

recorded at

ed each hour ategory refers

roosting mi

the Warrayu

ecorded in t

l sequences)

vil twilight

t Warrayure

after civil tws to the hour

icrobats

6

ure and

the first

), while

at both

e in the

wilight at prior to

Spec

Using

level

ident

to me

not b

were

tasma

timor

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flaviv

(16.2

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ified either

eet the mini

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identified

aniensis, M

riensis, Vesp

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2%), while V

e 4. Echolocall sequences ii; Cm, C. mphilus geoffrogulus; Vv, V

olaimus flavive

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of total calls

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as a result

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shed betwee

d: Vespert

Minopteurs

padelus dar

Mormopter

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V. vulturnus

ation call seqwere not ide

morio; Ft, Faoyi/N. gouldi/V. vulturnus;entris.

ty

d fifteen fee

s) and 13 at

ost-boxes as

gram, 2828

ophilus sp.,

of being a

ria, or havin

en two speci

tilionidae:

schreibers

rlingtoni, V

rus species

rlingtoni wa

dominated

uences identientified at Stalsistrellus ta/N. timoriensi; Ta, Tadarid

eding buzze

t Strathkella

s a tool in th

8 (45.5%) c

and Mormo

short seque

ng the majo

ies (Gibson

Chalinolob

sii bassani

V. regulus,

s 4/M. spe

as the most c

calls at Stra

ified to specietrathkellar anasmaniensis; is; Sb, Scotoreda australis;

es were reco

ar (1.8% of t

he conservat

call sequenc

opterus sp.)

nce with in

ority of puls

n and Lumsd

bus gouldi

ii, Nyctoph

and V. vult

ecies 2; E

commonly r

athkellar (43

es or genus bnd WarrayurMsb, Miniopepens balston

M, Mormop

orded during

total calls) (

tion of tree

ces were ide

). The rema

nsufficient g

ses with par

den 2003). T

ii, C. mo

hilus geoff

turnus; Mol

Emballonuri

recorded sp

3.9%) (Figu

by AnaSchemre respectivepterus schreibni; Vd, Vespadpterus specie

g this study,

(Figure 5).

roosting mi

entified to

ainder could

good quality

rameters tha

The followi

orio, Falsi

ffroyi/N. go

lossidae: Ta

idae: Sacco

ecies at Wa

ure 4).

me; 25.8% andely. Cg, Chalbersii oceanedelus darlingtes2/M. specie

, 112 at Wa

icrobats

7

species

d not be

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at could

ng taxa

istrellus

ouldi/N.

adarida

olaimus

arrayure

d 58.4% linolobus ensis; N, toni; Vr,

es 4; Sf,

arrayure

FigurStrath

Socia

Socia

provi

matur

separ

Strath

speci

regio

Warr

FigurWarr

e 5. Numberhkellar Conse

al calls

al calls wer

iding indire

re E. clado

rate occasio

hkellar site.

ies level, as

on are not

rayure are pr

e 6. Number ayure Conser

Roo

r of echolocaervation Offse

re recorded

ect evidence

ocalyx at th

ons at Wa

It was not p

reference s

available. E

resented in

of microbat rvation Offse

ost-boxes as

ation foraginet Sites.

in the hour

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his site. A m

arrayure (F

possible to

social calls p

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Appendix 2

social calls ret Site.

s a tool in th

ng buzz calls

r prior to c

osting diurn

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igure 6). N

identify the

produced by

of two soci

2.

ecorded each

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of 16 socia

No social

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y species in

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ach night at

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al calls was

calls were

s recorded d

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the Warray

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s recorded

e recorded

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rn Volcanic

20 April 2

to civil twiligh

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8

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c Plains

2012 at

ht at the


9

Discussion

Considerable variation in activity was documented both within and between nights during

this study, however bats were present (as detected via echolocation calls) on every night at

Warrayure, and on the majority of nights at Strathkellar, albeit at lower levels (Figure 2).

The overall hourly pattern of bat activity featured a peak immediately after dusk, followed

by a steady decrease throughout the night and only minimal activity in the second half of

the night (Figure 3). Studies by Law et al. (1998) and Milne et al. (2005b) examining bat

activity in southeastern and northern Australia respectively have reported similar patterns.

In both studies, the majority of activity occurred in the first half of the night, with

considerably less activity from midnight to sunrise. Several lines of evidence suggest this

pattern is driven primarily by activity of nocturnal insects which also exhibit the greatest

peak of activity at twilight, with activity dropping off during the remainder of the night

until dawn (Rautenbach et al. 1988; Vaughaun et al. 1996; Jetz et al. 2003;

Wickramasinghe et al. 2003a,b; Weinbeer et al. 2006).

High levels of variation in bat activity between nights has also been identified in previous

studies (Hayes 1997; Milne et al. 2005b). A range of factors have been shown to influence

variation in nightly bat activity, including climate variables (Bullen and McKenzie 2005;

Turbill 2008; Brooks 2009), insect availability (Bell 1980; Avila-Flores et al. 2005;

Akasaka et al. 2009), and lunar phase (Fenton et al. 1977; Milne et al. 2005a). While

specific factors influencing activity patterns were not examined here, the findings clearly

show bats were consistently present in this highly-modified agricultural landscape. The

assemblage recorded comprised the majority of species known to occur in the Western

Volcanic Plains region of Victoria (Figure 4, Appendix 1). However, a conservative

approach should be taken when drawing inferences from a survey based solely on passively

collected echolocation data, as detection rates can differ significantly between species

(Hayes 2000; Sherwin et al. 2000). To provide greater confidence in recording an accurate

species inventory, capture techniques (e.g. harp trapping or mist netting) and physical

identification of animals should be employed in conjunction with bat detector sampling

(Australasian Bat Society 2006).


10

Minimal levels of foraging activity were recording during this study, predominantly at the

Warrayure site (Figure 5). Microbats are known to forage in a range of forested and rural

landscapes of southeastern Australia (Law et al. 1998; Lumsden and Bennett 1995), as well

as in highly-modified urban landscapes (Threlfall et al. 2012). Lumsden and Bennett (2000)

suggested bats are likely to play an important role in regulating populations of herbivorous

invertebrates around sparsely scattered trees, because insectivorous birds dependent on

good quality forest cover are often scarce in agricultural landscapes. Many land managers

are familiar with the beneficial role of birds as insectivores or pollinators (Reid and

Landsberg 1999; Lindemayer et al. 2011; Schirmer et al. 2012). However, because

insectivorous bats are small, nocturnal and remain hidden in roosts during the day, few

people are aware of the ecosystem services they provide by eating insects in rural

landscapes (Lumsden and Bennet 2005).

The presence and activity of microbats recorded in this study, and specifically the detection

of social calls produced by diurnally roosting bats (Figure 6), has implications for the

management and rehabilitation of isolated patches of land within highly-modified

agricultural landscapes. Across much of southeastern Australia, the amount of land

dedicated to conservation of biodiversity is generally small in size compared with the

extensive areas transformed for urbanisation, industrialisation and agricultural development

(Gobbons and Lindenmayer 2002; Lumsden and Bennett 2005; Rhodes et al. 2006).

Consequently, relatively small sites dedicated to conservation and restoration often exist

within a matrix of natural, semi-natural and highly modified habitats (Lindemayer et al.

2011). The mobility of bats means they can traverse the rural landscape to exploit multiple,

isolated habitat patches (Lumsden and Bennett 2000). Therefore, the management of

sparsely scattered and even single trees in the agricultural landscape can provide significant

conservation outcomes for bats (Lumsden and Bennett 1995; Law et al. 1998).

In areas with limited roosting sites, bat-boxes can be installed as substitutes for natural

hollows. In Australia, relatively little is known of the use and preferred designs of bat-

boxes (Goldingay and Stevens 2009), however studies in the Northern Hemisphere provide

evidence that internal microclimate, height off the ground, construction material and design

can affect the attractiveness and suitability of a bat-box for the target species (Arnett and


11

Hayes 2000; Brittingham and Williams 2000; Kerth et al. 2001; Flaquer et al. 2005;

Bartonicka and Rehak 2007; Lesinski et al. 2009). Therefore, the design and placement of

roost boxes is likely to influence their usefulness to bats, and other wildlife, and their

effectiveness in allowing the maintenance of sustainable populations of native wildlife in

lower-quality, fragmented habitats.

Conclusions

The loss, modification and fragmentation of natural habitats constitute a major threat to bat

populations worldwide (Racey and Entwistle 2003). This is particularly relevant in

Australia where the majority of microbats rely on tree hollows to roost in during the day

(Churchill 2008). Echolocation data collected in this study provide indirect evidence of bats

roosting diurnally in a small, isolated patch of trees located within a highly-modified

agricultural matrix. Bat-boxes were installed at the Warrayure Conservation Offset Site as

part of an ongoing ecological management and restoration plan, with the intention of

providing supplementary microbat roosting sites (Appendix 3). Further work is planned to

incorporate 6-monthly manual checks of bat-box occupancy at Warrayure, paired with

additional bat detector surveys to examine seasonal patterns of activity at both the

Warrayure and Strathkellar Conservation Offset Sites. This research will provide insight

into the efficacy of bat-boxes as a management tool for the conservation of tree-hollow

roosting microbats in highly-fragmented rural landscapes.


12

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Appendix 1

Table A1. Microbat species known to occur in the Western Volcanic Plains region of Victoria*, with level of taxonomic identification achieved by the AnaScheme program. Scientific name Common name AnaScheme identification Vespertilionidae Chalinolobus gouldii Gould’s wattled bat Species level Chalinolobus morio chocolate wattled bat Species level Falsistrellus tasmaniensis eastern false pipistrelle Species level Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis southern bent-winged bat Species level Nyctophilus geoffroyi lesser long-eared bat Genus: Nyctophilus sp. Nyctophilus gouldi Gould’s long-eared bat Genus: Nyctophilus sp. Nyctophilus timoriensis greater long-eared bat Genus: Nyctophilus sp. Scotorepens balstoni inland broad-nosed bat Species level Vespadelus darlingtoni large forest bat Species level Vespadelus regulus southern forest bat Species level Vespadelus vulturnus little forest bat Species level Molossidae Tadarida australis white-striped free-tailed bat Species level Mormopterus species 2 eastern free-tailed bat Genus: Mormopterus sp. Mormopterus species 4 southern free-tailed bat Genus: Mormopterus sp. Emballonuridae Saccolaimus flaviventris yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat Species level

*Species distributions from Churchill (2008) and on advice from L. Lumsden (Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria).


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Appendix 2

a)

b)

Figure A1. Sonograms of social call sequences produced by microbats roosting diurnally in mature E. cladocalyx at the Warrayure Conservation Offset Site. Call frequency (kHz) is presented on the y-axis, with time in seconds on the x-axis (call a) 15 second duration; call b) 12 second duration). Both call sequences are comprised of short pulses of sound within the range 7-10 kHz.

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Purpose-

roost boxes as a tool in the conservation of microbats ... · native habitat since european...

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