An investigation of mining impacts on bats in South-West England

Abstract

The extraction of minerals through open-pit mining can result in sudden and extensive land use change, often posing threats to local biodiversity. Bats are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of mining, but their metapopulation structure and wide-ranging roosting habits can make it challenging to monitor local populations. Here, we investigated the impacts of habitat loss and disturbance at Drakelands open-pit mine, the first new metal mine to be established within Britain in the past 45 years. This was addressed in two parts, firstly by analysing data collected by contracted ecologists at the site, in order to identify potential short-term shifts in bat activity and to evaluate the efficacy of mitigation measures. Secondly, by monitoring bat activity in the wider landscape to identify potential further-ranging impacts of the mine on local bat populations. In conjunction with this work we incorporated a field trial of a novel bat detector designed for long-term monitoring of bat activity. The results highlighted the multitude of factors which influence bat activity at a local level, and may provide a platform for continued research into the impacts of habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic noise at a species/ genus level. The information presented here will help to inform management decision making in regards to bat conservation, both at the Drakelands site and potentially at mining operations elsewhere.