B. Verboom et H. Huitema, THE IMPORTANCE OF LINEAR LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS FOR THE PIPISTRELLE PIPISTRELLUS-PIPISTRELLUS AND THE SEROTINE BAT EPTESICUS-SEROTINUS, Landscape ecology, 12(2), 1997, pp. 117-125
The relation between two species of bats, the pipistrelle (Pipistrellu
s pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774)) and the serotine (Eptesicus serotinus
(Schreber, 1774)) and linear landscape elements such as hedgerows, tr
ee lines and tree lanes was studied in an agricultural area in The Net
herlands. The pipistrelle was observed almost entirely close to landsc
ape elements, while serotines more frequently crossed fields and meado
ws. Serotine activity in these open areas was, however, negatively rel
ated to the distance to a landscape element and to windspeed. On a lan
dscape scale the results indicate a more than proportional positive re
lation between the density of serotine bats and the density of linear
landscape elements, whereas this relation was only proportional in the
case of the pipistrelle. It is argued, that landscapes with a high de
nsity of linear elements have a surplus value for serotine bats. Three
possible functions of linear elements for bats (orientation clues, fo
raging habitat and shelter from wind and/or predators) are discussed.
Any of these may explain the results of this study.