The Common Pipistrelle Does Not Like To Fly Through Bright Spaces

Bats living in urban areas are less likely to move from tree to tree in brightly lit areas, according to new findings published in the journal Global Change Biology.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that they're more likely to "commute" along lines of trees, which helps provide lines of protection from predators and high winds.

Along with the help of colleagues from Lancaster University, the study revealed the impact of artificial light on the bat species, Pipistrellus pipistrellus (the Common pipistrelle), which is often found in parts of UK cities.

Researchers specifically looked to examine the distance between trees and the brightness of lighting within the intervening gap. Findings revealed that the bats crossed via the darker parts of the gaps. However, depending on the lighting and the width of the gap in the tree line, this made it more difficult for the bats to move freely. While they could tolerate strong lighting in more narrow gaps, longer, low levels of lighting in larger caps prevent them from crossing.

"We used Geographic Information Systems to combine data about the illumination from artificial lights, with the distance from trees, to predict the landscape resistance to bat movement," said Gemma Davies of Lancaster university's Environment Center, a co-author of the study, in a news release. "The logical next step for this research would be to feed these findings into the town and city planning process, by identifying areas where bat populations are low and strategically dimming or shielding street lamps and narrowing gaps in the local tree networks."

Lead study author James Hale of the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences concluded with the following, courtesy of the release: "We have focussed our study on the Common pipistrelle, but the flight behaviour of several other bat species may be influenced by artificial lighting. More research is now needed to explore the potential disruption of movement for other species."

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