Comments on: Bats Lose Out to Historic Trees in Sydney http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/06/bats-lose-out-to-historic-trees-in-sydney/ Ideas, innovations and discoveries from the world of science Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: storm http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/06/bats-lose-out-to-historic-trees-in-sydney/comment-page-1/#comment-6905 storm Tue, 19 Jun 2012 14:29:19 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/?p=10363#comment-6905 You don't mention that more than 6,000 animals have died at Yarra Bend from heat stress - the camp the bats were pushed to is unsuitable in many ways and ongoing effort and funds are being spent to manipulate the environment there to make it less lethal. The animals continue to be subject to frequent, ongoing, lower-leval dispersal activity nearly ten years after the dispersal. The camp at Lachlan Swamp, Centennial Park, appears, from ground counts, to be where most of the bats are now roosting. This area is the last remnant of what was extensive freshwater wetlands. This area is arguably much more significant than the planted garden on Sydney Cove. The area at Lachlan Swamp is very likely too small for the number of animals that can be expected to be there over a year, the trees will be damaged and then there is the risk the whole horrible cycle starting again. Dispersals almost always result in situations that are worse for the people or the bats (or both). The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne action is still going after a decade and the cost to the bats, a threatened species, has been large. We don't know what will happen as a result of this dispersal, less than a month after the start of the RBGS's action, it's far too early to have any idea. You don’t mention that more than 6,000 animals have died at Yarra Bend from heat stress – the camp the bats were pushed to is unsuitable in many ways and ongoing effort and funds are being spent to manipulate the environment there to make it less lethal. The animals continue to be subject to frequent, ongoing, lower-leval dispersal activity nearly ten years after the dispersal.

The camp at Lachlan Swamp, Centennial Park, appears, from ground counts, to be where most of the bats are now roosting. This area is the last remnant of what was extensive freshwater wetlands. This area is arguably much more significant than the planted garden on Sydney Cove.

The area at Lachlan Swamp is very likely too small for the number of animals that can be expected to be there over a year, the trees will be damaged and then there is the risk the whole horrible cycle starting again.

Dispersals almost always result in situations that are worse for the people or the bats (or both). The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne action is still going after a decade and the cost to the bats, a threatened species, has been large. We don’t know what will happen as a result of this dispersal, less than a month after the start of the RBGS’s action, it’s far too early to have any idea.

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