Urban Bats : Biology, Ecology, and Human Dimensions / [E-Book]

Chapter Outlines -- Section 1: What is an Urban Bat? Morphological, Physiological, Behavioural and Genetic Adaptations -- Chapter 1: Physiological adaptation of bats to urban areas -- Chapter 2: Genetic impoverishment and species endangerment in the Anthropocene -- Chapter 3: Behavioral preadaptation of molossid bats to urban environments -- Chapter 4: The ecology of bats and their parasites in relation to urbanisation -- Chapter 5: Effect of urbanization on the social and mating system of bats -- Section 2: How do Bats Inhabit Urban Environments? Uses of Artificial Roosts, the Aerospace, and Green Spaces -- Chapter 6: Roost selection by urban bats -- Chapter 7: Bat boxes as roosting habitat in cities - 'thinking outside the box' -- Chapter 8: Woah, living in the air! Aerial habitats and aeroconservation for urban bats -- Chapter 9: What traits of greenspace in urban environments influence bat abundance and diversity? -- Chapter 10: Urban bats living in the city of Recife, Brazil.-Section 3: How do Bats and Humans Interact in Urban Environments? Human Perceptions, Public Health, and Ecosystem Services of Bats -- Chapter 11: Human dimension of bats in the city -- Chapter 12: Public health /conflicts between humans and bats -- Chapter 13: Ecosystem services of bats in urban habitats -- Chapter 14: The big picture, and moving forward with urban bat research, management, and conservation.

The Anthropocene is the "age of human influence", an epoch well known for its urban impact. More than half of all people already live in cities, and this proportion is expected to rise to almost 70 percent by 2050. Like other species in urban areas, bats must contend with the pressures of profound and irreversible land cover change and overcome certain unique challenges, such as the high density of roads, lights, glass, and free-ranging domestic animals. Research on urban bats in recent decades indicates that when it comes to urban life, some bats are synanthropes. In other words, although most species of bats are negatively impacted by urbanisation, many appear to not only succeed, but also thrive in cities and towns. This observation has inspired interesting questions about bats in relation to urbanisation. Which traits and behaviours equip bats for urban success? What features of urban areas increase the likelihood that bats will successfully persist there or even colonize newareas? And how does the success of urban bats affect co-habiting humans? Our book explores the interactions between bats and urban environments through case studies and reviews. Understanding how different species interact with urban environments can reveal potential opportunities to mitigate urban threats to bats and threats posed by bats to other urban organisms, including humans. With this book, we thus aspire to provide a knowledge base to help guide current and future efforts to conserve bats.