Elucidation of the Foraging Ecology of Echolocating Bats by the Acoustical GPS Bio-logging

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16237
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45040:Ecology and environment-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: Fujioka Emyo 同志社大学, 研究開発推進機構, 准教授 (00722266)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: バイオロギング / GPS / 超音波 / コウモリ / 採餌 / 移動生態

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, in order to clarify the behavioral ecology related to foraging of echolocating bats in large spatially scale, we examined the details of ultrasonic utilization and movement ecology by mounting an acoustic GPS data-logger developed in cooperation with a company to bats and also performing acoustic fixed-point observation. We found for the first time that the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum nippon) capture prey at 1-2 min intervals and that the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator) foraged at altitudes above 200 m AGL. And, since the detail of the ultrasonic wave utilization with the predation behavior has also been obtained by the fixed-point recording of ultrasonic wave, further detailed analysis becomes possible by future data storage, and it is expected that the understanding behavioral ecology of foraging bats greatly advances.

Free Research Field

生物音響学　行動生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

2016年のパリ協定の発効に伴い、日本政府が風力発電の積極的な導入計画を掲げた一方で、小コウモリ類が風車に衝突して死亡するケースが多発している。本研究で得られた成果は，これまで全く不明であったコウモリの日々の採餌のための移動生態の一部を超音波利用とともに明らかにしたものである．今後、本研究によって構築したノウハウによりデータを蓄積することができれば、コウモリ類の風車衝突を減らすための生態学的知見が得られることが期待できる．