EDP Baixo Sabor: Acoustic Bat Monitoring – Construction and Reservoir Filling Phases [2008-2014]

The dataset contains records of bats (Chiroptera) collected in the lower valley of River Sabor, in the scope of the long-term Ecological Monitoring Program (PME) of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams (AHBS), promoted by EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A. Sampling was carried out between August 2008 and September 2014 in selected sampling points, in the framework of the regular monitoring of feeding habitats for Chiroptera. As part of the monitoring program of Compensatory Measures (MC 5.7), sampling was also carried out between July 2010 and September 2104 close to small weirs located in the tributaries of the River Sabor, above the area to be flooded by the reservoirs. The latter sampling included both extant weirs and locations where weirs were planned to be built in the future for improving feeding resources for bats. Overall, regular field sampling was performed at a total of 97 sampling points 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 common calls but cannot be identified to any taxonomic level, and that were thus assigned to acoustic “species complexes”.

Identification

Alternate Identifier: 10.15468/whkymv

Alternate Identifier: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=edp_sabor_chiroptera_acoustic

Publication Date: 2019-12-11

Title: EDP Baixo Sabor: Acoustic Bat Monitoring – Construction and Reservoir Filling Phases [2008-2014]

Abstract: The dataset contains records of bats (Chiroptera) collected in the lower valley of River Sabor, in the scope of the long-term Ecological Monitoring Program (PME) of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams (AHBS), promoted by EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A. Sampling was carried out between August 2008 and September 2014 in selected sampling points, in the framework of the regular monitoring of feeding habitats for Chiroptera. As part of the monitoring program of Compensatory Measures (MC 5.7), sampling was also carried out between July 2010 and September 2104 close to small weirs located in the tributaries of the River Sabor, above the area to be flooded by the reservoirs. The latter sampling included both extant weirs and locations where weirs were planned to be built in the future for improving feeding resources for bats. Overall, regular field sampling was performed at a total of 97 sampling points 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 common calls but cannot be identified to any taxonomic level, and that were thus assigned to acoustic “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.

Dataset Language: ENGLISH

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Mota Paulo (General Coordinator )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - José Vítor Vingada (Scientific/Fieldwork Coordinator )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Pedro Rodrigues (Technician )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Nuno Garrido (Technician )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Nuno Pinto (Technician )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Virgínia Duro (Technician )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Dataset Creator: BioLink - Consultoria Ambiental, Unipessoal, Lda - Frederico Oliveira (Technician )

Pta. Caminho da Cruz, 9 , Vila Nova de Gaia , 4405-625 Vila Nova de Gaia , PORTUGAL

Metadata Provider: CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto - Tiago Múrias (Researcher )

Campus Agrário de Vairão , Vairão , 4485-661 Vairão , PORTUGAL

Dataset Contact: EDP - Energias de Portugal - João Madeira (Manager )

Av. 24 de Julho, 12, Torre Nascente, Piso 4 , Lisbon , 1249-300 Lisboa , PORTUGAL

Keywords (GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type.xml )

occurrence;

Keywords (NA )

bats; occurrence; acoustic sampling; hibernation; reproduction; feeding habitats

Geographic Coverage

Geographic Description: Data were collected in an area of 62,500 ha corresponding to 25 5x5 km squares around the lower Sabor river affected by the Sabor Dams (impact area), and in an additional area of 30,000 ha not directly affected by the dams, encompassing a set of 12 5x5 km squares (control area).

Bounding Box

West Bounding Coordinate: -7.037

East Bounding Coordinate: -6.4

North Bounding Coordinate: 41.739

South Bounding Coordinate: 41.137

Temporal Coverage

Range of Dates

Begin Date

2008-08-21

End Date

2014-09-03

Taxonomic Coverage

General Taxonomic Coverage: The taxonomic coverage of this dataset spans 1 class, 1 order, 4 families, 10 genera and 17 species positively identified.

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Phylum

Taxonomic Rank Value: Chordata

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Class

Taxonomic Rank Value: Mammalia

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Order

Taxonomic Rank Value: Chiroptera

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Family

Taxonomic Rank Value: Rhinolophidae

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Family

Taxonomic Rank Value: Vespertilionidae

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Family

Taxonomic Rank Value: Miniopteridae

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name: Family

Taxonomic Rank Value: Molossidae

License Information

Intellectual Rights

This work is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License

Projects

• ProjectEDP Biodiversity Data

Title: EDP Baixo Sabor: Acoustic Bat Monitoring – Construction Phase and Reservoir Filling Phases ( [2008-2014]

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Paulo

Surname: Mota

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: José Vítor

Surname: Vingada

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Pedro

Surname: Rodrigues

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Nuno

Surname: Garrido

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Nuno

Surname: Pinto

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Virgínia

Surname: Duro

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Frederico

Surname: Oliveira

Role: AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name: Tiago

Surname: Múrias

Role: ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT

Abstract: The dataset contains records of bats (Chiroptera) collected in the region surrounding the lower valley of River Sabor, in the scope of the Ecological Monitoring Program (PME) of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams (AHBS), promoted by EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A. Data were collected between August 2008 and September 2014, during field visits to 97 sampling sites located in the area to be flooded by the reservoirs and within a 5-km buffer around the reservoirs considering the full storage levels of the dams. The occurrence of the target taxa was documented through 4931 observation events. In total, 17 taxa were identified up to the species rank. The “species complexes” could potentially add 7 or more species to the list. The most common species (>400 records) identified were Pipistrellus kuhlii (726 presence records), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (510) and Tadarida teniotis (402). More than 1680 records could not be attributed to any particular species, genus or "species complex", and were thus identified only to the Order taxonomic level.

Funding: The work was funded by EDP - Energias de Portugal, S.A.

Study Area Description

Descriptor

The study was conducted in part of the sub-basin of river Sabor directly or indirectly affected by the construction of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams, as well as in control areas nearby. The sampling included 97 sampling sites located in several habitats in the flooded area and in a radius of 5 km around the area flooded by the reservoirs at the full storage level of the dams, encompassing a length of river of 90 km upstream of the mouth .

Design Description

Description: The objective of the study was to monitor the importance of selected habitats for bats' feeding, before (2008) and during (2009-2014) the construction of the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Dams (AHBS). The study was conducted in the area to be flooded by the reservoirs and within a 5-km buffer of the reservoirs at full storage level of the dams. Sampling was also carried out close to extant and future weirs in tributaries of the River Sabor, which are important feeding areas for bats in dry Mediterranean areas. The latter sampling was carried out as part of the monitoring of the Compensatory Measures Program (MC 5.7), to understand whether building new weirs increase feeding conditions for bats.

Methods

• Method

Method Step

Description: To be completed

Sampling

Study Extent

The study was carried out in the lower reaches of the Sabor River (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 area flooded by the reservoirs at the full storage level of the Sabor dams, encompassing a length of river 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 Bragança.

Sampling Description

Sampling was designed to cover the dominant habitats occurring in the study area and that are normally used by foraging bats. A total of 97 sampling points was surveyed, stratified by habitat, considering the main habitat types represented in the region. Of these, 50 sites were located within the area flooded by the reservoir, 26 in areas above or around it, but outside its range of influence (2-5 km), and 21close to extant and future weirs in the tributaries of the River Sabor (above the flooded area). Each sampling site was visited once or twice per season, considering three seasons: spring (April-May), reproduction (July-August) and post-breeding (September-October). Sampling was carried out when there were 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 10 minutes.

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 were 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. In the context of this work, whenever it was not possible to perform the identification to the species level , the binomials, multinomials or genera to which the identification was possible were considered to be present. Thus, the presence of all species constituting these phonic groups (or “species complexes”) was considered possible.

qualityControl

Description: All individual identifications were performed by qualified technicians

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Identification

Geographic Coverage

Bounding Box

Temporal Coverage

Range of Dates

Taxonomic Coverage

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

License Information

Projects

Projects

• ProjectEDP Biodiversity Data

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Personnel

Individual Name

Study Area Description

Design Description

Methods

Methods

• Method

Method Step

Sampling

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