EDP Baixo Sabor: Bat Feeding Habitats [acoustic sampling] - Ecological Monitoring (PME) and Compensatory Measures (PMC) Programs: Reservoir Filling and Operation Phase (2015-2020)
Citation
Cabral J A, Barros P, Faria S, Duro V, Braz L, Vale-Gonçalves H, Carvalho D, Travassos P, Gomes C, Múrias T (2022). EDP Baixo Sabor: Bat Feeding Habitats [acoustic sampling] - Ecological Monitoring (PME) and Compensatory Measures (PMC) Programs: Reservoir Filling and Operation Phase (2015-2020). EDP. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/we5w7b accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-06.Description
The dataset contains records of bats (Chiroptera) collected in potential feeding habitats along the lower valley of River Sabor, in the scope of the Ecological Monitoring (PME) and Mitigation/Compensation Measures (PMC) Programs of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams, promoted by EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A. Sampling was carried out between June 2015 and August 2020 in selected sampling points, in the framework of the regular monitoring of feeding habitats for Chiroptera and as part of the monitoring program of Compensatory Measures (MC5.7). The latter sampling was made in the framework of other Compensatory Measures to generally recover important habitats, that are also suitable for bat feeding. These included riparian galleries, autochthonous forests and new weirs. Overall, regular field sampling was performed at a total of 70 sampling points (impact and control sites) within a 5-km radius buffer around the limits of the area flooded by the reservoirs in the lower valley of River Sabor. The presence and identity of bat species were assessed by acoustic sampling of the echo-location calls emitted in fligth. The records include taxa identified at the species, genus, family or order level, as well as groups of species that share similar calls but cannot be identified to any taxonomic level, and that were thus assigned to acoustic “species complexes”. From a total of 527 recording sessions, 1,544 records of bats were obtained, belonging to 12 identified species and 10 “species complexes”.Purpose
This dataset is part of a broader initiative, whereby the company EDP - Energias de Portugal S.A. will make available biodiversity data collected during impact assessment and biological monitoring studies.
Sampling Description
Study Extent
The study was carried out in the Sabor Lower River Valley (Northeast Portugal). The data were collected at sampling sites located in several habitats, both in the area to be flooded by the reservoirs and within a 5-km buffer around the flooded area by the reservoirs at the full storage level of the Sabor dams, encompassing a river extension of 90 km upstream of the mouth. Sampling was carried out in the municipalities of Torre de Moncorvo, Alfândega da Fé, Mogadouro, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Vimioso and BragançaSampling
Sampling was designed to cover the dominant habitats of the study area, normally used by foraging bats. A total of 70 sampling points (10 impact and 30 controls, for the PME and 30 survey points for the PMC) was surveyed. The impact points were selected among those surveyed in the previous phases, and the subset of the points already established under the monitoring program of the compensatory measures MC1, MC2 and MC3 were also used as control points for bat activity. Each sampling site was visited once per month during the main bat activity period (June-August). In each month, one third of the control points (10 points) were covered, along with the impact points. Sampling was carried under favourable weather conditions, including temperature above 10º and absence of strong winds and rainfall. Acoustic sampling started at sunset and ended 2-3 hours later. Each site was sampled for 15 minutes. In all sites, the air temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity (m/second) were recorded, independently of the confirmed presence of bats. The detection of specimens in flight was made with a bat detector (Pettersson Elektronik, D240X model), with a frequency range of 10-120 kHz. The detector was connected to an automatic digital recorder (model Sony ICD-PX312) which saved the recordings in a “Wave” format, at a frequency of 44 kHz and at an expanded mode of 10x, making them audible to the human ears while, at the same time, preserving the original acoustic characteristics. The analysis of the acoustic records was performed using the sound analysis program BatSound Pro (Pettersson Elektronik AB). This program generates graphs (oscillogram, sonogram and power spectra) using the various sound variables that allow the identification of species or complexes of species detected. The exact identification of the bat species by sound analysis is not always possible, due to problems in detectability and/or identifiability. Whenever it was not possible to perform the identification to the species level, all the compatible species within these phonic groups (or “species complexes”) were considered as with possible occurrence.Quality Control
All individual identifications were performed by qualified techniciansMethod steps
- To be completed
Taxonomic Coverages
The taxonomic coverage of this dataset spans 1 phylum, 1 class, 1 order, 4 families, 4 genera and 12 species identified.
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Chordatarank: phylum
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Mammaliarank: class
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Chiropterarank: order
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Rhinolophidaerank: family
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Vespertilionidaerank: family
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Miniopteridaerank: family
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Molossidaerank: family
Geographic Coverages
Data were collected in an area of 62,500 ha around the lower Sabor river valley affected by the Sabor Dams (impact area), and in an additional area of 30,000 ha not directly affected by the dams (control area), in the municipalities of Torre de Moncorvo, Alfândega da Fé, Mogadouro, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Vimioso and Bragança.
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
João Alexandre Cabraloriginator
position: Project & Scientific Coordinator
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Quinta de Prados
Vila Real
5001-801 Vila Real
PT
email: jcabral@utad.pt
Paulo Barros
originator
position: Fieldwork Coordinator
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Quinta de Prados
Vila Real
5001-801 Vila Real
PT
Sandra Faria
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Virgínia Duro
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Luís Braz
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Hélia Vale-Gonçalves
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Diogo Carvalho
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Paulo Travassos
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Carla Gomes
originator
position: Technician
CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agro-ambientais e Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Vila Real
PT
Tiago Múrias
metadata author
position: Researcher
CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto
Campus Agrário de Vairão
Vairão
4485-661 Vairão
PT
email: tdsantos@cibio.up.pt
João Madeira
administrative point of contact
position: Researcher
EDP - Energias de Portugal
Av. 24 de Julho, 12, Torre Nascente, Piso 4
Lisbon
1249-300 Lisboa
PT
email: Joao.Madeira@edp.pt