Katedra zlgie a eklgie Přírdvědecká fakulta, Masarykva Univerzita v Brně Psitive trend in numbers f bats wintering in mass hibernacula in Mravia and Silesia (Czech Republic) Zvyšvání pčtu netpýrů zimujících v masvých zimvištích Mravy a Slezska (Česká republika) Zdeněk Řehák & Jiří Gaisler Department f Zlgy and Eclgy Faculty f Science, Masaryk University in Brn
INTRODUCTION Winter checks f bats in extensive undergrund spaces are an imprtant methd f mnitring bat ppulatins. Bats gather in such hibernacula frm large area f their summer ccurrence. On the territry f the present Czech Republic, winter census f bats started in 1955 but riginally it invlved nly a few sites. Since then, the number f lcalities was enlarged and winter mnitring f bat numbers has been standardized. AIM T evaluate the trends in numbers f bats as recrded in six mass hibernacula situated n the territry f Mravia r Silesia, which is the E part f the Czech Republic.
STUDY SITES 1. Slupsk-ššůvské caves, SŠC (49 25 N, 16 45 E) a natural limestne cave system in the N part f the Mravian Karst (MK, C Mravia). A cmplicated set f crridrs and dmes in tw streys cnnected by deep chasms. Ttal length ca 7 km, six entrances at the elevatin f 460 472 m.
2. Kateřinská cave, KC (49 21 N, 16 48 E) a natural limestne cave in the N part f MK with ne entrance at the elevatin f 345 m. Ttal length f crridrs and three large dmes ca 500 m.
3. Býčí skála cave, BSC(49 18 N, 16 42 E) a natural cave in the part f MK with three entrances, a large manmade, a large natural (elevatin 302.5 m) and a small natural upper windw. Ttal length f the whle system ca 13 km but bats have been checked in its small part nly, the Old Býčí skála incl. Brunina cave.
4. Caves f the Říčka valley, CŘV (49 15 N, 16 45 E) fur natural caves, viz, Ochzská., Netpýrka, Malčina and Pekárna, in the S part f MK. Their entrances are situated at the bttm f a valley. Ttal length f Ochzská cave > 1 km, f each f the remaining caves 100 m.
5. Cave f Na Turldu, CT (48 48 N, 16 38 E) a natural limestne cave in S Mravia at the brder with Austria. A cmplicated system f crridrs and streys with nly small dmes, elevatin 250-295 m. Ttal length f accessible spaces ca 1100 m.
6. Mines near Malá Mrávka, MMM (50 03 N, 17 18 E) tw abandned irn re mines in the Jeseníky Mts., N Mravia. Cmplicated systems f galleries and spacius halls in several streys cnnected by vertical shafts at the elevatin f 900 m. Ttal length f standard spaces checked regularly since 1970/71 ca. 600 m, f new spaces discvered in 1993 and checked since 1994 ver 500 m.
METHODS Each f the hibernacula was visited nce per winter, usually in January r February. Up t 1980, the census was cupled with marking and recapturing, since 1981 the bats were censused visually withut marking Bth published and unpublished data have been used. Published data surces: SŠC - Zukal et al. (2001, 2003), KC - Řehák et al. (1994), Zukal et al. (2001), BSC - Zima (2001), CŘV - Gaisler & Řehák (2001), CT - Chytil & Gaisler (2001), Gaisler & Chytil (2002), MMM - Gaisler et al. (1993), Řehák & Gaisler (1999, 2001).. Unpublished data surces, mainly after 2000, were assumed frm field prtcls f the authrs and their c-wrkers (Zukal, Kvařík, Chytil, Bartnička). The changes in numbers f bats were assessed using linear regressin analysis.
MATERIAL Species / Lcalities Rhinlphus hippsiders R. ferrumequinum Mytis mystacinus M. brandtii M. emarginatus M.nattereri M. bechsteinii M. mytis M. blythii M. daubentnii M. dasycneme Pipistrellus pipistrellus s.l. Eptesicus nilssnii E. sertinus Barbastella barbastellus Plectus auritus P. austriacus SŠC KC BSC CŘV CT MMM N. f species 13 14 14 13 10 14
Slupsk-ššůvské caves, SŠC (1958-2005) 1400 1200 Mytis mytis Rhinlphus hippsiders Other spp. 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Tw species are dminant in the SŠC, viz, M. mytis (57.0 %) and R. hippsiders (38.1 %). Their numbers increased since 1982 and this trend has been highly significant (M. mytis, r = 0.95, p < 0.001, R. hippsiders r = 0.87, p < 0.001).
Kateřinská cave, KC (1959-2005) 250 200 Mytis mytis Rhinlphus hippsiders Other spp. 150 100 50 0 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Similar results were btained in the KC where M. mytis prevailed (66.4 %) while R. hippsiders was the secnd mst cmmn species (24.5 %). Since 1983, the increase in their numbers was highly significant (M. mytis, r = 0.79, p < 0.001, R. hippsiders, r = 0.90, p < 0.001).
Býčí skála cave, BSC (1977-2001) 600 500 400 Other spp. Rhinlphus hippsiders Mytis mytis 300 200 100 0 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 Bat cmmunity f the BSC is characterized by the high dminance f M. mytis (78.5 %) the increase in numbers f which has been highly significant (r = 0.90, p < 0.001). The secnd numerus R. hippsiders is far less cmmn (14.3 %) and the psitive trend in its numbers has been less significant (r = 0.60, p < 0.01).
Caves f the Říčka valley, CŘV (1957-2005) 300 250 200 150 100 50 Rhinlphus hippsiders Mytis emarginatus Mytis mytis Other spp. 0 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Different situatin was fund in the CŘV. R. hippsiders prevails (50.9 %) while M. mytis cnstitutes nly 30.7 %. Since 1982, bth species increased in numbers significantly (R. hippsiders, r = 0.87, p < 0.001, M. mytis, r = 0.75, p < 0.001). Further characteristic species there is M. emarginatus (10.6 %) the numbers f which als increased significantly (r = 0.69, p < 0.001).
After the cave was clsed again in 1975, the number f hibernating bats increased (R. hippsiders, r = 0.95, p < 0.001, M. emarginatus, r = 0.78, p < 0.001) Cave f Na Turldu, CT (1958-2005) 300 250 Rhinlphus hippsiders Mytis emarginatus Other spp. 200 150 100 50 0 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 In the CT, the nly dminant species is R. hippsiders (92.2 %), remaining nine species are rare (less than 5 % each), M. emarginatus is mst abundant f them. Cnsiderable decrease in the number f bats in 1969-1974 was caused by the destructin f the entrance gate (R. hippsiders, r = 0.95, p < 0.01).
Mines near Malá Mrávka, MMM (1971-2005) 1600 1400 1200 All species in new spaces All species in standard spaces 1000 800 600 400 banding 200 0 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Significant increase in numbers f the whle bat cmmunity has been revealed since 1985 in standard spaces (SS) (r = 0.94 p < 0.001) and since 1994 in new spaces (NS) (r = 0.95, p < 0.001) Bat cmmunity in the MMM shws high species diversity. In six ut f 14 species recrded in standard spaces, the dminance values exceed 5 %: B. barbastellus (53.7 %), M. mytis (15.4 %), E. nilssnii (9.1 %), M. mystacinus/brandtii (8.5 %), M. daubentnii (5.8 %) and P. auritus (5.0 %). Three species dminate new spaces: M. mytis (49.4 %), R. hippsiders (35.3 %) and M. daubentnii (8.3 %).
Mines near Malá Mrávka, standard spaces Mytis mytis M. daubentnii N 100 Changes in numbers f M. mytis 80 60 40 20 0 N 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Changes in numbers f M. daubentnii 1970/71 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 1970/71 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Eptesicus nilssnii Barbastella barbastellus N 400 Changes in numbers f B. barbastellus 300 200 100 0 1970/71 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 The ppulatin develpment recrded in 7 species, viz, M. mytis (SS: r = 0.85, p < 0.001, NS: r = 0.94, P < 0.001), E. nilssnii (SS: r = 0.93, p < 0.001), M. daubentnii (SS: r = 0.79, p < 0.001), B. barbastellus (SS: r = 0.63, p < 0.01), P. auritus (SS: r = 0.79, p < 0.001), M. mystacinus/brandtii (SS: r = 0.77, p < 0.001) and R. hippsiders (NS: r = 0.90, p < 0.001)
CONCLUSION Similarly as in many ther C Eurpean mass hibernacula, significant increase in numbers f bats was recrded during the last decades, after winter marking has been abandned. In sme species, especially M. mytis and R. hippsiders, data btained in winter pssibly reflect a general psitive trend f ppulatin develpment. Acknwledgement The research was supprted by the Grants f Ministry f Educatin, Yuth and Sprts Ns. MSM 143100010 and MSM 0021622416 and by the Czech Bat Cnservatin Trust. We thank T. Bartnička, J. Chytil, M. Kvařík and J. Zukal fr prviding their unpublished data.
Thank yu fr yur attentin Děkuji za pzrnst Dziękuję za uwagę