Habitat use by bats in a mediterranean ecosystem in Israel - Conservation implications

Conservation programs for insectivorous bats should be based on protecting their foraging habitats as well as their roosts. In this paper we present a method for assessing habitat use of a bat community using a bat detector. We found distinct patterns of habitat use for seven bat species in Mt Meron Nature Reserve, Israel. Using these patterns, we recommend conserving and fostering riparian vegetation, since several endangered species forage mainly in this increasingly threatened habitat.