Eucalypt plantings on farms: use by insectivorous bats in south-eastern Australia

Published source details Law B.S. & Chidel M. (2006) Eucalypt plantings on farms: use by insectivorous bats in south-eastern Australia. Biological Conservation, 133, 236-249.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create tree plantations on agricultural land Action Link

Create tree plantations on agricultural land

A replicated, site comparison study in 2002 of 120 sites in an agricultural area in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia (Law & Chidel 2006) found that sites planted with native eucalypt trees had similar overall bat activity and a similar number of bat species as treeless grazed paddocks. Bat activity and the number of bat species did not differ significantly between plantations (average 87 bat passes/night, 5–7 species) and treeless grazed paddocks (50 bat passes/night, 5 species). Bat activity was lower in plantations than in remnants of original forest (302 bat passes/night), but the number of bat species was similar (7 species in remnants). Eleven bat species were recorded in total (see original paper for data for individual species). Grazing land with small remnants of forest had been planted with native tree species from the mid-1970s to 1991. Twelve treatments were sampled including different shapes or sizes (narrow, small, medium, large, very large) and ages (<10 or >10 years old) of plantations and remnant forest, and grazed paddocks with and without trees. For each of 12 treatments, 10 points were sampled with bat detectors for one full night in November–December 2002.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)