Physical parameters beneficial for grouping of western barbastelle bats into clusters during hibernation

• Main Authors: Kłys, Grzegorz, Ziembik, Zbigniew, Makuchowska-Fryc, Joanna
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Barbastella barbastellus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-159; https://bg.copernicus.org/preprints/bg-2022-159/

Social hibernation of animals is one of the most important physiological and ecological behaviours. The purpose of the study was the investigation of the influence of the roostsite climate parameters: temperature (T), humidity (Rh) and air flow velocity (v) on the clustering of the Barbastella barbastellus (western barbastelle) during hibernation. The research was carried out in the underground systems of Poland (Central Europe) over a period of 6 years. The range of air parameters changes ranged for T from 6.0 to 12.4 °C, for Rh from 56.4 to 91.8 % and for v from 0.01 to 1.17 m/s. The quantile linear regression method was used for the statistical analysis of the results. The study indicated that the increase in the number of individuals in the hibernaculum occurs with an increase in the product (correlation result) T and v, while a decrease in the size of the group occurs with an increase in the products T and Rh, v and Rh as well as T, v and Rh.