working today for nature tomorrow - Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

Foraging areas: Central European specimens mainly forage in cultivated landscapes withplenty of habitat structure and low management intensity. Pasture with high orchard trees,ancient trees or hedgerows is preferred. In spring the majority of the population forages indeciduous forests; in summer in open fields, at trees or bushes along streams or creeks, alongforest edges, at warm slopes or near villages (Beck & Schelbert 1999, Gaisler 2001, Geiger1996, Bontadina 2002, Meschede & Heller 2000, Schober 1998). The bats regularly visitspecial locations in their foraging areas where they take a small break from flying (Geiger1996).Individuals use several foraging areas of 6-7 hectares each (Pir and others 2004). In NorthernBavaria (Germany) they visit 11-25 of such areas per night (Geiger 1996). Specimens fromone colony sometimes forage in the same places, so that Bontadina (2002) could estimate thewhole foraging area of a colony of 150 animals by telemetric observation of 15 individuals.Foraging areas are selected close to the roost sites or at distances up to 14 kilometres (Geiger1996, Beck & Schelbert 1999, Meschede & Heller 2000, Bontadina 2002, Bontadina andothers 1997).3.2 Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposiderosForest habitats: Deciduous forests are important foraging habitats. Appropriateunderground hibernation sites should exist close to summer habitats.Summer roosts: In Central Europe summer roosts are mainly in undisturbed lofts of houses.Sometimes maternity colonies occur in unused rooms and warm cellars of houses or in karstcaves (Biedermann & Boye 2004, Kulzer 2003, Meschede & Heller 2000, Roer & Schober2001, Interessengemeinschaft Fledermausschutz und –forschung Thüringen e.V. 2002).Roosts are usually situated close to woodland or a park. If this is not the case a system ofcontinuous linear landscape elements, such as hedges, ecotones or walls, provide guidance tothe bats when flying to their foraging areas (Biedermann 1999, Motte & Libois 2002).Winter roosts: Undisturbed hibernation sites in underground caves, mines or cellars must beavailable at a maximum distance of 30 kilometres from the summer roosts (Biedermann &Boye 2004).Seasonal migrations over a distance of 5-30 kilometres occur regularly to change betweensummer and winter habitats. The longest distance recorded so far is 146 kilometres (Schober1998, Roer & Schober 2001).In most winter roosts other bat species that hibernate underground are also present, especiallythose from the genus Myotis und Plecotus.Foraging areas: Woodlands play a predominant role as foraging habitats of the species(Bontadina and others 2002, Holzhaider and others 2002, Motte & Libois 2002), especially inspring when the lesser horseshoe bat nearly exclusively forages there (Bontadina 2002). InGermany foraging habitats near maternity colonies of more than 50 adults comprise morethan 20% deciduous forests (Biedermann 1999).Individual home ranges of females from maternity colonies are between 12 and 53 hectares insize (Bontadina and others 2002). The 29 female adults of the maternity colony from19