The Big Picture and Future Directions for Urban Bat Conservation and Research

Abstract

Urbanisation modifies natural environments, creating light, noise, air, and water pollution, which may impact bat physiology, ecology, and behaviour. The vast variation in the physical and behavioural characteristics of bats makes it difficult to predict how each species will be affected by urbanisation. It appears that urban-dwelling bats commonly present general physiological and behavioural adaptations to urban environments: an “urban syndrome”. Like other urban-dwelling mammals, bats may also move into and out of urban areas to feed, roost, and hibernate. However, the impacts of urban living on the survival and reproductive success of the few urban bats studied to date remain equivocal as responses are species-specific. In some instances, bat fitness appears to be higher in urban areas. In other instances, fitness is reduced in urban areas, suggesting they may be ecological traps for some bats. Additional species-specific research and tracking could improve our knowledge of urban-dwelling bats, which could better inform management actions that support bats. This could be supplemented by establishing clear definitions of urban environments and gradients of urbanisation across studies.