Bats announced as wildlife indicators

 

Today Defra announced that bat and wintering bird numbers have been added ot its set of indicator species that will help measure the health of the UK's wildlife and progress towards the Government's target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

 

Bats account for almost a third of all the UK's mammal species.  Found throughout urban areas, farmland, woodland and river/lake systems they are all under threat from a loss of habitat and fewer insects to feed on, and are thought to have suffered severe declines during the second half of the twentieth century. Strict legal protection, direct conservation action and education, and warmer winters are helping bat populations to recover.  Bat populations remain vulnerable, which is why they have been added to other wildlife indicators in the updated 2007 Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket (BIYP).

 

The Bat Conservation Trust have welcomed the announcement, Amy Coyte, Chief Executive of the Bat Conservation Trust, said:  “Bats are an excellent indicator of the state of the natural environment. As our wildlife continues to struggle against many threats, it is vital to have indicators of whether current conservation efforts are working. By adding bats to the suite of indicators, we will gain a greater understanding of how our wildlife is faring.”

 

BCT in partnership with JNCC has been monitoring UK bat populations for more than 10 years under ithe National Bat Monitoring Programme. The long term population trends help to inform conservation work and provide a clearer picture of the state of the UK’s bats - and now of the environment as a whole.

 

Bats can tell us a lot about the state of the environment, as they are top predators of common nocturnal insects, and are sensitive to land use practices, development and building work, and changes in water quality.