Survey of the Eastern Carpathians and Dobrogea underground bat habitats

Zoltan Nagy

This project aims to conduct detailed surveys on cave dwelling bat species in the Eastern Carpathians and Dobrogea regions of Romania, along with bat conservation training workshops for volunteers. According to IUCN criteria, seven bat species occurring in these territories are vulnerable, and three are classified as near threatened. The project will establish the present status of these threatened bat roosts in Central and Eastern Europe. Summer and winter monitoring of the nursery colonies and hibernating aggregations and evaluation of recent, unpublished and literature data will be carried out in order to establish our objectives. Databases with distribution maps will be developed. Ecological requirements for roosting places and threats to them will be presented. Key areas for bat conservation will be designated. A series of training workshops will be held for volunteers who will have the opportunity to collaborate in the survey work. A management plan for this largest hibernacula of Europe will be developed and outputs of the project will be presented in the form of scientific reports and articles. Press releases and the programme webpage will inform mass media.