The bat research was carried out in collaboration between six universities and 11 research stations.
The results of the world’s first long-term monitoring of bats reveal that some bat species have become more abundant in Finland in recent years. This has happened, for example, to the most common bat species in Finland and the northernmost bat species in the world, the northern bat.
According to the researchers, the new observation method provides more detailed information about the activity of the species than before.
Bats were studied semi-automatically by recording activity at almost all Finnish university research stations.
In addition to the northern bat, the little bat, for example, has also increased.
– In Finland, the little bat classified as endangered is clearly more abundant than previously thought, Lilley states in a press release from the University of Turku.
The research led by the University of Turku involved six universities and their 11 research stations across Finland, up to the northernmost Lapland. The follow-up study was carried out in 2015–2021.
The study also found a very rare kimolepako in Finland, which was also found in northern Finland. According to the researchers, it is partly about the fact that the new observation method gives more detailed information about the species than before.
– By continuing the monitoring, we will be able to obtain valuable information about the variation in the activity of different species in the future, Vesterinen says.