Bats and biodiversity

Wednesday 02 September 2020

Out of all of the animals considered vital for Jersey’s vast biodiversity, the bat is not one that necessarily jumps to mind.

Bats tend to be associated with cheap Halloween decorations, but in reality they are an integral part of Jersey’s environment.

University College London were asked to conduct a £29,225 survey considering the possible impacts of using an island-wide acoustic monitoring system to better track the bat population in Jersey and preserve the island's environment.  

Bats offer reforestation, pest control and pollination to the environment they inhabit while also being useful indicators of the wider health of an environment as a whole. 

Pictured: Bats can indicate the health of the island's environment as a whole

They also account for almost a third of all mammal species in the UK, with Jersey being homes to 18 different species of bats.

These are protected under the Conservation of Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2000 and are covered by a Species Action Plan as part of the Biodiversity Strategy for Jersey (2000). 

Now the Government is looking at how it can be more proactive in its monitoring and care of bats.

According to the recently published study by University College London's Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, new software like BatDetect and BatIdentify combined with acoustic sensors like AudioMoths can provided a clearer picture of Jersey’s bat population.

There is also a cost benefit, as they are significantly cheaper than the Passive Audio Monitoring system currently used by the Government of Jersey’s Natural Environment Team. 

The report states that “future surveys should cover at least 70 sites for five non-consecutive nights but aim to cover 90 sites per season” using the BatIdentify and BatDetect systems.