Differential responses of cryptic bat species to the urban landscape.

ABSTRACT: Urbanization is a key global driver in the modification of land use and has been linked to population declines even in widespread and relatively common species. Cities comprise a complex assortment of habitat types yet we know relatively little about the effects of their composition and spatial configuration on species distribution. Although many bat species exploit human resources, the majority of species are negatively impacted by urbanization. Here, we use data from the National Bat Monitoring Programme, a long-running citizen science scheme, to assess how two cryptic European bat species respond to the urban landscape. A total of 124 × 1 km(2) sites throughout Britain were surveyed. The landscape surrounding each site was mapped and classified into discrete biotope types (e.g., woodlan

SUBMITTER: Lintott PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4768637 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature