scholarly journals Using mounting, orientation, and design to improve bat box thermodynamics in a northern temperate environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Fontaine ◽  
Anouk Simard ◽  
Bryan Dubois ◽  
Julien Dutel ◽  
Kyle H. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Optimal Temperature ◽  
Artificial Structures ◽  
The Public ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Optimal Temperature Range ◽  
Temperate Environment ◽  
Reproductive Females

AbstractWildlife managers design artificial structures, such as bird houses and bat boxes, to provide alternative nesting and roosting sites that aid wildlife conservation. However, artificial structures for wildlife may not be equally efficient at all sites due to varying climate or habitat characteristics influencing thermal properties. For example, bat boxes are a popular measure employed to provide compensatory or supplementary roost sites for bats and educate the public. Yet, bat boxes are often thermally unstable or too cold to fulfill reproductive females needs in northern temperate environments. To help improve the thermodynamics of bat boxes, we tested the effect of (1) three mountings, (2) four orientations, and (3) twelve bat box designs on the internal temperature of bat boxes. We recorded temperatures in bat boxes across a climate gradient at seven sites in Quebec, Canada. Bat boxes mounted on buildings had warmer microclimates at night than those on poles and those facing east warmed sooner in the morning than those facing west or south. Our best new model based on passive solar architecture (Ncube PH1) increased the time in the optimal temperature range (22–40 °C) of targeted species by up to 13% compared to the most commonly used model (Classic 4-chamber) when mounted on a building with an east orientation (other designs presented in the Supplementary Information). Based on bioenergetic models, we estimated that bats saved up to 8% of their daily energy using the Ncube PH1 compared to the Classic 4-chamber when mounted on a building with an east orientation. We demonstrate that the use of energy-saving concepts from architecture can improve the thermal performance of bat boxes and potentially other wildlife structures as well.

scholarly journals Using Thermodynamics to Improve Bat Houses in Cold Climates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Fontaine ◽  
Anouk Simard ◽  
Julien Dutel ◽  
Bryan Dubois ◽  
Kyle Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Cold Climates ◽  
Passive Heating ◽  
Optimal Temperature ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Optimal Temperature Range

Abstract Wildlife managers design artificial structures, such as bird and bat houses, to provide alternative habitats that aid wildlife conservation. However, prototypes may not be equally efficient at all sites due to varying climate or habitat characteristics influencing thermal properties. For example, bat houses are a popular measure employed to protect bats and educate citizens, yet bat houses have achieved limited success in cool climates. To address this problem, we tested different orientations and mountings for both traditional and newly designed bat house models based on modern architectural energy saving concepts, by recording temperatures in bat houses across a climate gradient in Quebec, Canada. Bat houses mounted on buildings had warmer conditions at night than those on poles and warmed sooner in the morning when facing east. Our new insulated model with passive heating maximized the time in the extended optimal temperature range (22 − 40 °C) of targeted species by up to 13% compared to the Classic model, providing bats with an estimated average daily energy savings of up to 7.8% when mounted on a building. We conclude that the use of energy-saving concepts from architecture can improve the thermal performance of wildlife structures.

scholarly journals Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1356
Author(s):  
Julie Teresa Shapiro ◽  
Luis Víquez-R ◽  
Stefania Leopardi ◽  
Amanda Vicente-Santos ◽  
Ian H. Mendenhall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Disease Ecology ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
The Public ◽  
Key Concepts

Many of the world’s most pressing issues, such as the emergence of zoonotic diseases, can only be addressed through interdisciplinary research. However, the findings of interdisciplinary research are susceptible to miscommunication among both professional and non-professional audiences due to differences in training, language, experience, and understanding. Such miscommunication contributes to the misunderstanding of key concepts or processes and hinders the development of effective research agendas and public policy. These misunderstandings can also provoke unnecessary fear in the public and have devastating effects for wildlife conservation. For example, inaccurate communication and subsequent misunderstanding of the potential associations between certain bats and zoonoses has led to persecution of diverse bats worldwide and even government calls to cull them. Here, we identify four types of miscommunication driven by the use of terminology regarding bats and the emergence of zoonotic diseases that we have categorized based on their root causes: (1) incorrect or overly broad use of terms; (2) terms that have unstable usage within a discipline, or different usages among disciplines; (3) terms that are used correctly but spark incorrect inferences about biological processes or significance in the audience; (4) incorrect inference drawn from the evidence presented. We illustrate each type of miscommunication with commonly misused or misinterpreted terms, providing a definition, caveats and common misconceptions, and suggest alternatives as appropriate. While we focus on terms specific to bats and disease ecology, we present a more general framework for addressing miscommunication that can be applied to other topics and disciplines to facilitate more effective research, problem-solving, and public policy.

Endangered Science: The Regulation of Research by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Acts

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Benson
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Environmental Regulation ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Professional Autonomy ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
The Public

The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act have been cornerstones of federal wildlife conservation policy in the United States since their enactment in the early 1970s. These laws prohibited the taking of members of protected populations without a permit, where “taking” was defined so broadly as to include harassment or disturbance, as well as capture or killing. Because most forms of biological research on protected species involved some sort of taking, and because such research was deemed vital to the achievement of conservation goals and the advancement of human knowledge, the laws established procedures under which proposed scientific takes could be permitted after review by federal regulators, scientists, the public, and, in some cases, the courts. Although there was relatively little controversy over the need for or nature of these permit procedures during the debates leading up to the enactment of the laws, they became the source of concern on the part of many zoologists, biologists, and ecologists as soon as federal agencies began to implement them. From these scientists’ perspective, certain forms of environmental regulation undermined their professional autonomy and threatened to hamper the production of the very knowledge necessary for effective environmental protection. Their efforts to block, weaken, or work around such regulation brought them into conflict with environmental and animal rights activists, regulators, and other members of the scientific community and resonated with a broader backlash against environmental regulation.

Effects of temperature on growth of north-east Pacific moon jellyfish ephyrae, Aurelia labiata (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad L. Widmer
Keyword(s):  
Good Condition ◽  
Bell Diameter ◽  
Optimal Temperature ◽  
Moon Jellyfish ◽  
Poor Condition ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
North East ◽  
East Pacific ◽  
Optimal Temperature Range ◽  
Effects Of Temperature

The effects of ten different water temperatures on the growth of newly released ephyrae of Aurelia labiata were explored. Ephyrae grown at 21°C showed the greatest growth, increasing in bell diameter from about 4.0 mm to 14.5 mm in 14 days and remained in good condition for the duration of the experiment. Ephyrae subjected to other temperatures grew at different rates. Ephyrae maintained at 8°C gradually decreased in size during the experiment, shrinking in bell diameter from about 4.0 mm to 3.8 mm by day 14, but remained in apparent good condition. Ephyrae reared at 22.5°C and above everted their bells, were in poor condition, and were unable to feed or swim effectively by about day ten. In this study the optimal temperature range for rearing A. labiata ephyrae was 12°C—21°C, which corresponds with the reported range for this species.

Microhabitat use by the snow vole Chionomys nivalis in alpine environments reflects rock-dwelling preferences

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan José Luque-Larena ◽  
Pilar López ◽  
Joaquim Gosálbez
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Mountain Environments ◽  
Chionomys Nivalis ◽  
Spatial Use ◽  
Microtine Rodent ◽  
Reproductive Females ◽  
Alpine Environments

Environmental conditions in mountainous regions have influenced the nature of some adaptations among small mammals and this may apply to strategies of habitat use in alpine biotopes. In the present paper, microhabitat use in relation to microhabitat availability of a population of snow voles Chionomys nivalis Martins, 1842, a nonhibernating microtine rodent that inhabits high-mountain environments exclusively, was studied. The results show that C. nivalis did not use microhabitats in proportion to availability, suggesting a preference for certain habitat characteristics. Chionomys nivalis strongly used scree areas at all times, whereas the use of available areas of mixed shrubs (Juniperus communis and Cytisus oromediterraneus) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) was lower than expected. Factors other than food, such as favourable microclimate or refuge from predators, might determine regular use of rocky microhabitats. The results also revealed differences in the use of rocky structures related to sex and reproductive condition, suggesting different strategies of spatial use related to reproductive tasks. Juveniles and reproductive females used central zones of the scree and areas with scree junipers (J. communis) significantly more than expected, whereas reproductive males and nonreproductive adults used scree areas in proportion to availability. Based on its unique morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics, C. nivalis can be considered a rock-dwelling specialist of alpine environments.

A future forest policy for Britain

1975 ◽  
Vol 271 (911) ◽  
pp. 219-232 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Forest Policy ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private Forestry ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Renewable Natural Resource

Forests are a national resource - for timber, for employment, for wildlife conservation and ecological protection, for recreation and leisure activities, for multiple land use and the enhancement of landscape. The complementary contributions of state and private forestry are described, as are the continuity of the existing forest, and the problems of new planting. The underlying conflict between silviculture and economics are stressed. A description of contemporary policy in these fields in state and private forestry is given, covering such topics as targets and goals for production, technology and social benefits, priorities for land use and the wealth of the nation. Trends of world timber supply are reviewed, and the adaptability of timber as a renewable natural resource are contrasted with the extravagant energy consumption of alternatives. Social aspects of forestry are discussed, including the preference of the public for hardwoods, and the growth of emphasis on social benefits and access to woodlands. The value and silvicultural difficulties of continuous forest and the extension of the principles of dedication to conservation are mentioned, as are the vulnerability of forestry to urban ignorance. Ministerial responsibility for and local government involvement in forest policy is stressed.

Empowering citizens to effect change – a case study of zoo-based community conservation

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Dunstan ◽  
Belinda Fairbrother ◽  
Monique Van Sluys
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Community Conservation ◽  
Effect Change ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Threat ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Definition Of

There is little doubt that humans are directly impacting our planet, with biodiversity loss now rated as the most critical global environmental threat alongside climate change. The imperative to act is urgent, and the definition of wildlife conservation is expanding to include humans as central to the solution. Increasingly, behaviour change theories are becoming critical to community campaigns led by zoos, in order to increase the uptake of pro-environmental behaviours. Zoos are in a unique position to address biodiversity loss and can do so by working to inspire and influence their many visitors to change their behaviour in order to help wildlife. By engaging their visitors through interactive encounters with wildlife and by creating emotive experiences, zoos can foster a connection between people and nature that can lead to action and enable the public to help secure a future that meets the needs of both wildlife and people. Here, we critically examine a community conservation campaign aimed at increasing uptake of sustainable palm oil (and thus reducing the use of unsustainable palm oil) led by zoos in Australia and New Zealand. Here, we share the elements of success and key learning to build understanding and improvement of these programs globally.

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