BATMAN
Photo Copyright Daniel Hargreaves
BAT Monitoring via novel Assays and smart Nano-electronics
Video Copyright Vincent Wildlife Trust
About the BATMAN Project
Bat species provide critical functions to many ecosystems through insect control, seed dispersal and pollination. Because of their high level of specialisation, British bat populations are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors and disturbance.
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Stressors can include light and noise pollution, fragmentation of foraging corridors, risks posed by wind farms, agricultural activities and construction projects, to name a few.
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Despite the implementation of various policies in the UK to protect bat species and slow the loss of biodiversity, the precise effects of these environmental stressors on the behaviour and physiology of bats are relatively unknown. Their nocturnal lifestyle and small body size currently make long-term monitoring at the individual level almost impossible.
BATMAN (BAT Monitoring via novel Assays and smart Nano-electronics), a Leverhulme Trust funded project, will apply a wealth of interdisciplinary expertise to develop unique solutions to monitor bat species in the wild.
The UK-native lesser horseshoe bat (LHB; Rhinolophus hipposideros) was selected as the focal species for this project due to a current deficit in our understanding of this species’ behaviour, as well as its low body mass (5-9 g, making monitoring individual movements particularly challenging) and protected status in the UK.
We will develop an ultralight, smart-composite, self-powered Wearable Smart Device (WSD) that can be deployed on this small-bodied bat, in addition to designing and validating physiological and behavioural methodology to quantify anthropogenic impacts at the local (roost) level. This work will occur in close collaboration with the Vincent Wildlife Trust, who regularly monitor a large number of LHB roost sites across the UK.
Impact
The technology piloted here will enable future mitigation strategies to be underpinned by evidence, unbiased by repeated catching events and human presence, ultimately making these strategies more effective. This project will hence facilitate a giant leap forward for the non-invasive monitoring of vulnerable species.
Collaborative Partners
BATMAN