bats
Newsletter
Credit: Nils Bouillard/Unsplash
Bat populations decline in England due to wet summer
Conservationists report a worrying decline in UK bat populations, attributing the drop to an unusually wet summer that has reduced the insects they feed on.
In short:
- Malnourished and underweight bats are being rescued in various regions including Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
- The decline in insect populations, worsened by wet weather, threatens all 17 UK bat species.
- The Butterfly Conservation charity notes a significant decrease in butterflies and moths, crucial for ecosystem health.
Key quote:
“This is likely to be because of the wet spring and now the colder than normal temperatures. Butterflies and moths need some warmth and dry conditions to be able to fly around and mate – if the weather doesn’t allow them to do this, there will be fewer opportunities to breed.”
— Dr. Dan Hoare, director of conservation, Butterfly Conservation
Why this matters:
Bats play a crucial role in ecosystems as natural pest controllers, consuming vast quantities of insects that would otherwise damage crops and spread disease. Their dwindling numbers could lead to an increase in the insect population, potentially affecting agricultural productivity and public health.
Related EHN coverage:
Keep reading...Show less
Bats' crucial role in our food supply under threat
A new report highlights how bats, essential for the production of many popular foods and drinks, face increasing dangers.
In short:
- Bats contribute significantly to human food systems by pollinating crops like avocados and agave and controlling pests.
- The increasing demand for agave-based spirits like mezcal in the US is threatening the survival of agave plants and their bat pollinators.
- Conservation efforts, such as planting agave along bats' migratory paths and educating farmers about the benefits of bats, are crucial for their survival.
Key quote:
“It’s a big problem for agaves endemic to Mexico, and for the bats and all the biodiversity around the ecosystems where the agaves grow.”
— Diana Pinzón, forestry engineer who works with small-scale mezcal producers
Why this matters:
Bats, often misunderstood creatures of the night, play an indispensable role in ecosystems around the world as well as in agriculture. These nocturnal mammals serve as pollinators, pest controllers and seed dispersers, making them critical to the health of many environments.
Joe Roman argues that we need to change how we relate to wildlife, putting their health, and our own, before commercial interests.
Keep reading...Show less
Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash
Climate change is coming for bats. It’s only getting worse
Not only do bats pollinate our crops, prey on pests like mosquitos, and spread seeds that help damaged ecosystems recover, but they also possess a superpower that’s unique among mammals: flight.
Newsletter
Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash
Study: Climate change will wipe out 81 of 154 bat species
More than half of North America’s bat species are likely to diminish significantly as climate change, disease and habitat loss take their toll, scientists warned Monday.
Photo by René Riegal on Unsplash
As temperatures rise, Melbourne’s bats get their own sprinkler system
On the hottest days, a refreshing mist will cool down flying foxes, which have suffered mass death in Australian heat waves.
Wanted: Dead birds and bats, felled by renewables
Collecting, studying, and storing the carcasses from wind and solar facilities, scientists say, can unlock new insights.
Deforestation brings bat-borne virus home to roost
Habitat loss and food shortages have pushed bats into closer proximity to horses and humans, fueling Hendra virus spillover, a new study suggests.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
