Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/P010539/1
NEC06089 Understanding the drivers of population change in bat populations
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr NJ Isaac, NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019), Biodiversity (Wallingford)
- Grant held at:
- NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019), Biodiversity (Wallingford)
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Climate & Climate Change
- Ecosystem impacts
- Conservation Ecology
- Land use change
- Biodiversity conservation
- Population Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Extinction
- Population dynamics
- Abstract:
- Monitoring programmes provide valuable data for evaluating the state of biodiversity in the face of rapid environmental change and are vital for the formulation of conservation priorities. Bats are ideal candidates as indicators of habitat quality and climate change as they are globally distributed and provide essential ecosystem services [1,2]. It is believed that many bats experienced substantial declines during the 20th century [4]. Human disturbance, agricultural practices, urbanisation, climate change and native forest area are hypothesised as important determinants of these changes but quantitative analysis is lacking [5]. The need to survey, monitor and protect bat populations has been recognized for some time, not least in Europe where bats are protected under the EUROBATS agreement. Bats have been monitored systematically in Great Britain since 1996 as part of the National Bat Monitoring Program (NBMP). The NBMP, created and directed by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), engages thousands of citizen scientists across Britain. The NBMP is the largest, longest running systematic bat monitoring programme in the world, producing statistically robust population trends for 11 of the 17 native bat species [5]. NBMP data contributes to the UK Biodiversity Indicators C4a (Status of UK priority species) and C8 (Mammals of the wider countryside: Bats). Data from the NBMP has been used to understand species-specific ecology, but not to investigate the drivers of population trends in space and time. Existing analysis of the NBMP data has revealed that the majority of British bats have increased in abundance or remained stable since 1997 [5]. However, some methodological issues remain unsolved, particularly around the use of roost counts, which are an attractive way for citizen scientists to contribute data but are considered less reliable. It is also unclear how best to combine data from multiple survey techniques, and there is no information about how trends in bat populations vary in space. Solving these issues (part A) will further enhance the potential value of the NBMP data for testing hypotheses about biodiversity change (part B). To date, this potential has not been exploited, so a devoted PhD project is timely. This project will exploit the potential of the NBMP and the power of modern state-space modelling techniques by addressing the the following objectives: A1: Do roost counts provide reliable information about bat population change? A2: Develop maps of bat abundance and how this has changed over time B1: Reveal whether bat distributions are changing and, if so, why B2: Reveal the causes of abundance trends over space and time This set of objectives are well-suited to a PhD studentship because of the combination of methodological and ecological questions to be addressed, and the range of modelling techniques to be employed. The outputs will produce interesting science, but will be especially useful to BCT (the CASE partner). The research questions have been co-designed to fill priority evidence gaps identified in a review of BCT's strategic priorities for the period 2016-2020. The science will also have positive impacts for government agencies responsible for wildlife and biodiversity (e.g. JNCC). The student will be primarily based at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, but will also have desk space at University College London and BCT. The student will receive a comprehensive training experience, covering a broad range of analytical skills including Bayesian statistical techniques for spatio-temporal modelling using citizen science data, as well as transferrable skills including stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange. References 1. Jones et al 2009. Endanger Species Res 8, 93-115 2. Riccucci & Lanza 2014. Vespertilio 17, 161-169 3. Racey & Stebbings 1972. Oryx 11, 319 4. Burns et al 2016. PLoS One 11, e0151595 5. Barlow et al 2015. Biol Conserv 182, 14-26
- NERC Reference:
- NE/P010539/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £88,292
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £17,296 | £11,000 | £59,998 |
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