2024 Volume 29 Issue 2 Article ID: 2331
Abstract: The conservation of cave-dwelling bats can be improved by prioritization of cave habitat. We surveyed 119 caves in Chiba Prefecture, Japan to determine bat presence and evaluate the caves’ conservation priority value. Using a cave biotic potential (BP) index, which was based in part on bats’ relative abundance, we classified the caves as levels 1–4, where Level 1 indicated the highest priority for conservation. Cave surveys were completed over four seasons, inclusive of nursery and hibernation periods. In total, four bat species (Rhinolophus nippon, R. cornutus, Myotis macrodactylus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus) were confirmed to inhabit 70 of the surveyed caves. Fifteen caves were classified as Level 1 within at least one survey season. In addition, the first nursery cave of M. fuliginosus in Chiba Prefecture was identified, containing 16,331 bats. This cave is likely critical to maintaining the population of M. fuliginosus in Chiba Prefecture. For R. nippon, of 10 nursery caves identified, only one was classified as Level 1, with one additional cave classified as Level 2. Given that R. nippon form small nursery colonies, the BP index, which is strongly influenced by abundance, may underestimate the conservation value of caves inhabited by this species.
