A spatially-based modeling framework for assessing the risks of soil-associated metals to bats

Hernout, Béatrice V.; Somerwill, Kate E.; Arnold, Kathryn E.; McClean, Colin J.; Boxall, Alistair B.A.

A spatially-based modeling framework for assessing the risks of soil-associated metals to bats

2013

Hernout, Béatrice V. | Somerwill, Kate E. | Arnold, Kathryn E. | McClean, Colin J. | Boxall, Alistair B.A.

Populations of some species of bats are declining in some regions of Europe. These declines are probably due to a range of pressures, including climate change, urbanization and exposure to toxins such as metals. This paper describes the development, paramaterisation and application of a spatially explicit modeling framework to predict the risks of soil-associated metals (lead, copper, zinc and cadmium) to bat health. Around 5.9% of areas where bats reside were predicted to have lead levels that pose a risk to bat health. For copper, this value was 2.8%, for cadmium it was 0.6% and for zinc 0.5%. Further work is therefore warranted to explore the impacts of soil-associated metals on bat populations in the UK.

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