Bat communities of mountain peat bogs in the Šumava Mts. (southwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic) [Netopýři šumavských rašelinišť]

Pages

11–21

Citation

ČERVENÝ, Jaroslav. Bat communities of mountain peat bogs in the Šumava Mts. (southwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic) [Netopýři šumavských rašelinišť]. Lynx, new series. Prague: National Museum, 1998, 29(1), 11–21. ISSN 0024-7774 (print), 1804-6460 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/lns/29-1/bat-communities-of-mountain-peat-bogs-in-the-sumava-mts-southwestern-bohemia-czech-republic-netopyri-sumavskych-raselinist

Lynx, new series | 1998/29/1

The bat assemblages of peat bogs in the Šumava Mts. were studied from 1989 to 1997. Changes of the composition of bat assemblages, which included Myotis mystacinus, M. brandti, M. daubentoni, Vespertilio murinus, Eptesicus nilssoni, Nyctalus leisleri and Plecotus auritus, were dependent on elevation. The following netted species were eudominants: M. mystacinus (28.6%), M. daubentoni (25.0%), E. nilssoni (25.0%), P. auritus (10.7%). The mean value of species diversity H’ was 2.217. With increasing altitude species richness and number of hunting bats detected in peat bogs decreased (R = 0.402, p < 0.05). The relative abundance of M. daubentoni also decreased with increasing altitude, whereas that of E. nilssoni increased. In many peat bogs above 1100 m a. s. l. only E. nilssoni was recorded, and this species dominated in all altitudes and in all types of peat bogs. Hunting or flying activity was limited to night foraging on insects, depending on the weather conditions. There was a highly significant correlation between the number of flights observed each night and the air temperature (R = 0.862, p < 0,001). No bats were active at temperature below 2 °C. Strong wind, heavy rain and mist also limited the flying activity. In the extremely cold peat bogs, where insect activity has been surpressed by frequent summer night frosts, E. nilssoni hunted in the daytime. The hollows and fissures in pines (Pinus rotundata) were used for roosting of M. mystacinus and E. nilssoni. Generally, the abundance of bats and their flying activity in mountain peat bogs were extremely low.