Bats provide crucial ecosystem services to the agricultural industry, helping to pollinate crops, disperse seeds and consume large numbers of insects. They rely on a diverse range of habitats for foraging, roosting and breeding. However, many bat species are experiencing population declines.
The woodlands surrounding the Sapperton fields provide roosting and breeding habitats, and the species-rich hedgerows provide linear features for their navigation and sources for their main prey of invertebrates.
A baseline acoustic survey was conducted in 2023 by a Master's student, which found 8 of the UK’s 18 species; 3 of which are listed as vulnerable or near threatened on the IUCN Red List.
