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Improving urban habitats for bats: What makes a bat-friendly residential swimming pool?
Agpalo, Elizabeth
Agpalo, Elizabeth
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2020
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Abstract
For urban environments to support bat communities, resources such as water need to be readily available. Bats typically use urban water sources, such as drainage ditches, lakes, and ponds. However, in areas where temperatures are consistently high and rainfall limited, these sources tend to be ephemeral. During these periods, bats can utilize residential swimming pools. Thus, if pools were more attractive to bats, this could improve urban habitats for bats overall. We, therefore, determined which pool and landscape characteristics influenced bat activity at pools in a 2-part study, including 1) questionnaire and 2) behavioral observation surveys at residential swimming pools. Our results demonstrated that treatment type, lighting, pool size, borders around the pools, and presence of trees in proximity influenced both foraging and drinking activity. With this information, we can better advise interested residents in urban neighborhoods how to make their backyards more bat-friendly.
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Environmental science
Chiroptera
Foraging activity
Thermal technology
Chiroptera
Foraging activity
Thermal technology
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Environmental and Sustainability Sciences