Cadastre of Bat Fauna in Protected Parks of Ukraine

Introduction. All bat species in Ukraine are protected by national legislation and require conservation and monitoring. These efforts are especially relevant in the territories of the Nature Reserve Fund (NRF). Parks are among the least studied protected areas in Ukraine with regard to fauna. The aim of this paper is to present a reference cadastre of bat fauna in the protected parks surveyed by the authors. Methods. The article includes data on 42 parks across 10 administrative oblasts of Ukraine. Of these, 41 parks are protected as part of the Nature Reserve Fund (NRF) of Ukraine, as follows: 34 parks-monuments of landscape art, 3 dendrological parks, 2 protected tracts, and 2 natural monuments. One park is part of a historical and cultural reserve. In the vast majority of these parks, targeted bat surveys were conducted for the first time. The research period: from 2011 to 2021. The methods used included acoustic monitoring with ultrasonic detectors, netting and direct examination of animals, and the search for roosts. Results. A total of 16 bat species were recorded, with up to 12 species found in a single park. The most widespread species (recorded in more than half of the surveyed parks) were: Nyctalus noctula, Eptesicus serotinus, Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis daubentonii, and Nyctalus leisleri. The rarest species included: Myotis bechsteinii, M. brandtii, P. pipistrellus, and Vespertilio murinus. Breeding was confirmed for most species (n = 13) within the surveyed sites. In total, 122 bat roosts were found: 80 in trees and 42 in park-related buildings. Conclusions. This cadastre is the first of its kind in Ukraine. The data it presents can be used for fauna protection and monitoring, as well as for bat conservation in the planning of maintenance and reconstruction works in the surveyed parks and their associated buildings and facilities.