Post by L Roebuck on Nov 5, 2006 7:39:30 GMT -5
Bats fight back by hanging out in town
Will Iredale
SOME of Britain’s most common bat species have begun to reverse decades of decline by establishing growing colonies in suburban gardens and parks.
According to a report to be published this week by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), populations of four species grew by between 3% and 8% last year. The 1.5in-long common pipistrelle, the most common, was the most successful, with numbers reaching 2.5m. Experts are optimistic that the increase is a sign that efforts to protect habitats and change destructive farming practices are showing benefits.
“Bats are turning a corner. They have had massive historical decline in the past 50 years or so and the fact that numbers are coming up is fantastic,” said Katie Parsons, head of biodiversity for the BCT, which carried out the study with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the government’s wildlife advisory body.
Article
Will Iredale
SOME of Britain’s most common bat species have begun to reverse decades of decline by establishing growing colonies in suburban gardens and parks.
According to a report to be published this week by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), populations of four species grew by between 3% and 8% last year. The 1.5in-long common pipistrelle, the most common, was the most successful, with numbers reaching 2.5m. Experts are optimistic that the increase is a sign that efforts to protect habitats and change destructive farming practices are showing benefits.
“Bats are turning a corner. They have had massive historical decline in the past 50 years or so and the fact that numbers are coming up is fantastic,” said Katie Parsons, head of biodiversity for the BCT, which carried out the study with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the government’s wildlife advisory body.
Article