From Allafrica · · 1m 30s
Africa's Bats Face Climate Crisis
Climate change threatens Africa's cave-dwelling bats unless they find new roosts.
In brief
Climate change threatens Africa's cave-dwelling bats unless they find new roosts. Africa's cave-dwelling bats may lose up to 64% of suitable habitat by 2080 due to climate change without access to caves. Originally reported by Allafrica.
Climate Change Threatens Wildlife
Climate change and land use changes are the two biggest threats to wildlife by altering animal habitats.
Bats Especially Vulnerable
Bats have slow reproductive rates, depend on stable roosts, and need insects for food as climate shifts.
Cave Dependency Problem
Cave-dependent bats can't survive in climatically suitable areas without access to caves for roosting.
Research Focus on Bats
Mariëtte Van Der Walt has studied bats since 2017 to understand climate change impacts on wildlife.
Modeling Bat Habitats
Researchers built a model to track how climate change affects cave-dwelling bats across sub-saharan africa.
Climate Suitability Declines
Suitable climate areas for bats could shrink by 36% to 64% by 2061-2080 if warming continues.
Cave Availability Problem
Only 5% of suitable climate areas also have caves, dropping to 2% when considering landscape vulnerability.
Landscape Connectivity Matters
Bats need networks of caves across landscapes to move between feeding and resting areas.
Conservation Challenge
Conservation must address both climate suitability and physical habitat availability for wildlife.
Expert Background
Mariëtte van der Walt is Biodiversity Coordinator at Wilderness, University of the Witwatersrand.
The main idea
Africa's cave-dwelling bats may lose up to 64% of suitable habitat by 2080 due to climate change without access to caves.
