Expedition Field Techniques: Bats

The Expedition Field Techniques: Bat Surveys manual is an essential guide for anyone engaged in or planning field research and conservation initiatives involving bats.

Tailored for students developing dissertations or fieldwork projects, conservationists enhancing team skills, or expedition leaders integrating scientific study, this manual provides the expertise needed to ensure impactful contributions to understanding and protection in the chiropterology field.

Understanding and protecting bat populations presents unique challenges, given their elusive nocturnal behaviour and biological diversity. This concise manual directly addresses these complexities, delivering thorough, robust methodologies for effective field survey design and implementation.

Authored by the late respected chiropterologist Dr Kate Barlow, Expedition Field Techniques: Bat Surveys provides a proven framework for rigorous data collection, empowering researchers to significantly advance the understanding and conservation of bat species, especially within critical high-biodiversity regions.

Key practical techniques covered in this guide span a range of field skills, including:

• Effective capture techniques: Gain proficiency in methods such as mist-netting, harp-trapping, and careful hand-netting for ethical and successful bat capture in diverse environments.
• Rigorous survey design: Develop robust approaches for conducting roost surveys, precise emergence counts, and producing reliable population estimates vital for conservation planning.
• Bat processing and identification: Master the safe handling, accurate measurement, and identification of bats, including guidance on determining age and reproductive status.
• Specialised field methods: Discover advanced techniques like marking, radio telemetry for tracking, detailed dietary studies, and the strategic deployment of bat detectors for activity monitoring.
• Project management and analysis: Comprehensive coverage of critical project planning steps, ethical considerations, health and safety protocols, and foundational approaches to data analysis.

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