Bats, woodlands and climate change
Bechstein's bat (Credit: Hugh Clark/BCT)
In England, we have limited woodland cover and the risks posed upon it by climate change make it vital to investigate its effects on our most woodland-dependent species: the Bechstein’s bat.
The woodland strand of the Connecting People and Landscapes project will work to address barriers to saving this species by exploring where its range is changing due to pressure from climate change and whether this includes utilising atypical habitats. The lessons learned in this strand will allow the project to develop advice for woodland owners and managers, schemes, initiatives, and policy makers across the whole of the restricted range of this species in England.
Our increased understanding of Bechstein’s bat will enable us to support a range of other woodland species too thereby creating a strong platform for future conservation. This includes informing the targeting of a national drive for increasing woodland cover to avoid localised or national extinctions.
