Energetic compensation for resource ephemerality: Hibernation and climate change

Animals that live in the temperate zone have to deal with reduced resource availability in winter. Two major adaptations to this are migration and hibernation. The Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula), our major study species, does both. Recently, they have been extending their hibernation range both east and north, likely in association with rising temperature in their traditional hibernation range near the alps due to climate change. The aim of this project is to determine the costs and benefits of hibernation at different latitudes to test whether the new hibernacula are advantageous compared to traditional sites or ecological traps — and to estimate the effects of this range shift on noctule (currently unknown) population trends across Europe. Collaborating with the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center, as well as scientists from Luxembourg to Poland, we hope to get a better picture of how climate change may affect the future of these and other bats.

We also wish to examine whether the noctule range shift can be observed as changes in population numbers across Europe. This would not only inform on the nature and extent of the noctule range shift, but also on whether the extension of the northern range boundary is matched with a contraption of the southern range boundary. This analysis requires longitudinal data on population abundance of N. noctula, which we obtain from our historical records as well as from collaborators across Europe. To improve our work, we are always looking for new data: if you are interested in collaborating, please contact Andrea Fogato.