31-10-2024
Scientists warn of the importance of researching and conserving bats for planetary health
In a climate change scenario, where the temperature could rise up to three degrees by the middle of the century, scientific experts have highlighted the importance of conserving bats to ensure the health of the planet. These chiropteran species are vital in reducing insect populations, some of which are disease vectors. This is the main conclusion of the day "More than seventy years of chiropteran research in the Natural Parks Network", organized by the Provincial Council of Barcelona on October 24, coinciding with the World Day against Climate Change.
According to Dr. Jordi Serra Cobo, of the Biodiversity Research Institute of the University of Barcelona (IRBio-UB), "the conservation of chiropterans is essential for the maintenance of environmental and human health, since they consume a large amount of insects, some vectors of diseases such as the West Nile virus or Dengue”. An illustrative example is the bat colony in the Daví chasm, in the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac, which with around 17,000 individuals eliminates between twenty and thirty tons of insects annually.
The Daví ravine has been monitored since 1952, it is one of the longest bat monitoring studies in the world, a pioneering project started by Enric Balcells and continued since 1984 by the Serra Cobo team with the support of the University of Barcelona and the Provincial Council of Barcelona. This 72-year research focused on the biology and ecology of the cave bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) and its hibernation in relation to climate change has resulted in more than 52 scientific publications, many of them in international journals .
During the day, Professor Hervé Bourhy, from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, pointed out that ecosystems play a crucial role in the emergence of zoonotic diseases and that any modification of bat habitats can have a major impact on the transmission of zoonotic viruses, such as European rabies lyssavirus (EBLV-1).
The day closed with a round table moderated by Miquel Àngel Arnedo, director of the IRBio, in which the need to finance long-term research and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the conservation of biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change, especially in key species such as bats.
Source of information: Xarxa de Parcs Naturals and El Nacional.Cat
According to Dr. Jordi Serra Cobo, of the Biodiversity Research Institute of the University of Barcelona (IRBio-UB), "the conservation of chiropterans is essential for the maintenance of environmental and human health, since they consume a large amount of insects, some vectors of diseases such as the West Nile virus or Dengue”. An illustrative example is the bat colony in the Daví chasm, in the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac, which with around 17,000 individuals eliminates between twenty and thirty tons of insects annually.
The Daví ravine has been monitored since 1952, it is one of the longest bat monitoring studies in the world, a pioneering project started by Enric Balcells and continued since 1984 by the Serra Cobo team with the support of the University of Barcelona and the Provincial Council of Barcelona. This 72-year research focused on the biology and ecology of the cave bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) and its hibernation in relation to climate change has resulted in more than 52 scientific publications, many of them in international journals .
During the day, Professor Hervé Bourhy, from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, pointed out that ecosystems play a crucial role in the emergence of zoonotic diseases and that any modification of bat habitats can have a major impact on the transmission of zoonotic viruses, such as European rabies lyssavirus (EBLV-1).
The day closed with a round table moderated by Miquel Àngel Arnedo, director of the IRBio, in which the need to finance long-term research and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the conservation of biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change, especially in key species such as bats.
Source of information: Xarxa de Parcs Naturals and El Nacional.Cat