Landscape context matters for attractiveness and effective use of road underpasses by bats

• Published in: Biological Conservation
• Main Authors: Laforge, Alexis, Archaux, Frédéric, Bas, Yves, Gouix, Nicolas, Calatayud, François, Latge, Thomas, Barbaro, Luc
• Other Authors: Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural (DYNAFOR), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-École nationale supérieure agronomique de Toulouse ENSAT -Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels Midi Pyrénées (CEN MP), Ecosystèmes forestiers (UR EFNO), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud ), Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conservatoire Espaces Nat Midi Pyrenees, "Direction regionale de l'environnement, de l'amenagement et du logement'" of Occitanie region; French National Research Agency
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: conservation measure improvement; chiroptera; wildlife crossing structures; landscape connectivity; landscape permeability; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Barbastella barbastellus
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02346206; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02346206/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02346206/file/S000632071930566X.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.023

The worldwide expansion of road networks is a major concern in biological conservation because of its predominantly negative effects on terrestrial fauna. Roads also affect bats, acting as barriers to movements and causing direct mortality by collisions with vehicles. Among wildlife crossing structures existing to maintain landscape connectivity, road underpasses are considered as one of the most effective conservation measure for bats. While a few studies assessed the effects of underpass attributes on bat use, none to date has assessed the impact of landscape context on underpass use and attractiveness. To address this knowledge gap, we monitored bat activity during three consecutive nights around 24 underpasses selected along a gradient of forest cover. We compared bat activity below and above underpasses (Le., underpass use), at road sections with and without underpasses and at habitats adjacent to roads (i.e., underpass attractiveness). We found a significant positive effect of forest cover on both underpass use and attractiveness for Myotis spp. and Barbastella barbastellus, and significant negative effects of distance to the nearest forest patch for Rhinolophus spp. and hedgerow length for Myotis spp. Our study highlights the key influence of landscape context on road underpass efficiency to maintain landscape connectivity for bats. We advocate for incorporating a landscape-scale approach in the decision-making process of underpass location during road project planning to enhance efficiency of such costly crossing structures.