The significance of water infrastructures for the conservation of bats in a semiarid Mediterranean landscape

摘要: The semiarid Mediterranean areas of south-eastern Spain have undergone great economic growth in recent years following the disproportionate expansion intensive agriculture and housing developments. Such can only be supported by development large-scale hydraulic engineering works to compensate for restrictions imposed scarcity autochthonous water resources. We studied role this type infrastructure habitat use several bat species a protected forest area its surroundings, mixed landscape traditional agricultural crossed Tagus–Segura transfer channel endowed with frequent irrigation ponds. Our results showed that infrastructures positive effect on activity (as measured as passes feeding buzzes per unit time) richness. regression models indicate is notably higher than other types studied. However, appears mainly due presence two most common species, Pipistrellus pipistrellus pygmaeus, while others, such trawling bats Myotis daubentonii capaccinii, specialist hunters kind under greater threat study are much less frequent. absence vegetation along canal speed current do not seem favor these last whose conservation value pipistrelles.