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Bat data study reveals conservation priorities in San Diego County

A team of wildlife managers at the U.S. Geological Survey in San Diego, California, working with a colleague from the San Diego Natural History Museum, have uncovered the areas in San Diego County that need the most scrutiny if bat populations in the area are to be saved.

In their study in PLOS ONE, the group used existing data on the bat population in the San Diego County area to find out which bats need the most attention to avoid extinction.

As the research team points out, San Diego County hosts 22 of 41 known bat species in the United States. Sixteen of those species are at risk of extinction. Preserving bat populations is important in the San Diego area and around the world as bats are a major natural source of insect control. A single bat can eat up to 1,000 insects in just one hour. In this new effort, the researchers sought out which parts of San Diego County should be prioritized for bat conservation efforts.

The researchers analyzed bat population data from San Diego County. Most notably, they focused on two data points—species richness and threats. The species richness data revealed information regarding bat diversity, including population size and health and current conservation efforts surrounding each. Threats included anything in the environment that could jeopardize individual bats or their communities.

The research team mapped the places where different species of bats lived and hunted for food. They found that the bats faced three major threats: artificial lights, urbanization and non-conserved land (land not in its natural state). They noted that urbanization and artificial lighting make life particularly hard for bats because they impinge on their natural behaviors.

Urbanization means fewer resources and artificial lighting can confuse the bats because they are nocturnal and use light to tell them when to feed and when to head back to their shelter. The data also helped plan conservation efforts involving the installation of bat boxes and the planting of native vegetation.

The team's efforts helped establish a plan of action centered on helping the bats in San Diego survive as humans continue to change the landscape in which they live.