The Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit (SEABCRU) was established in 2007 in order to “provide an organisational framework to coordinate and implement research, capacity building, and outreach to promote the conservation of Southeast Asia’s diverse but threatened bat fauna.” It is the most prominent organisation related to bat conservation in Southeast Asia.
SEABCRU has four priorities when it comes to bat conservation. Namely, forest bats, taxonomy and systematics, flying foxes, and cave bats.
Forest Bats
With regards to forest bats, the main priority is to assess the remaining intact forests in Southeast Asia and the forest bats’ population with regards to their diminishing habitat. SEABCRU recognises the need to properly measure the diversity of forest bats in the Southeast Asia region and has taken action to start researching the forest ecosystems and the bat population within it. Through it, they aim to identify the high diversity forests most in need of protection as well as identify land-uses and land-use configurations that can maximise bat diversity.
Taxonomy and Systematics
Taxonomy is the practice of recognising, naming, and ordering taxa* into a system of words consistent with any kind of relationships among taxa. Meanwhile, systematics aims to order the diversity of organisms (parts) into more general systems of taxa (wholes).
The importance of taxonomy is being increasingly recognised. The accurate identification of species is fundamental to biodiversity assessments as well as to the evaluation of threat to an individual species. These are crucial when it comes to conservation action for biodiversity. The lack of data and taxonomy of Southeast Asian bat species remains one of the biggest challenges in conservation efforts. Lack of accessibility, data, researchers, literature and samples compounded with political boundaries make it difficult for organisations to properly create a reliable database. SEABCRU aims to resolve this by providing the required training to researchers and to eventually develop a digital database open to any SEAsian bat researcher. They seek to do this through graduate training and workshops as well as allowing for access to high-quality images of type specimens to aid in the collection and categorisation of data.
Cave Bats
Currently, there seems to be a lack of nation-wide cave bat assessments documenting cave bat distributions and threats. Relatively few surveys and information are available too given the extent of karst systems across Southeast Asia. Moreover, research on caves is made complicated by the contributions that they provide to local communities. This includes cave resources (swiftlet nests, guano, limestone, bats as food, tourism) as well as religious and cultural symbolism. Any conservation efforts for bats that threaten the benefits received by these communities could result in great hostility. Yet, it remains that research into management practices that minimise human-bat conflicts and interactions in cave systems is urgently required, as well as research into the ecological and economic benefits provided by cave bats.
Over the past few years, conservation organisations (BCI, Wildlife Conservation Society) and Philippine Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) like Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, have been working together to enhance protection of caves and cave resources in the Philippines. Training has been provided to various participants related to such projects to help them identify cave bats and assess the status of cave bats in the Philippines. The observations from participants are currently being collected through this webpage: phcavebats.crowdmap.com.
SEABCRU aims to develop an effective network of cave and bat conservation researchers and managers (both governmental and non-governmental) throughout SEA. They also aim to provide a comprehensive review of cave bats and karsts in Southeast Asian countries alongside education and training up the researchers, managers and conservationists working with cave bats throughout the region. This will then allow them to develop better cave management plans that accounts for the cultural/religious and economic values of caves as well as the protection of bats.
Flying Foxes
Among the many bat families, the state of flying foxes are particularly pressing. These large species roost in trees by the thousands and are faced with intense hunting pressure for food and medicinal purposes in many parts of SEA. SEABCRU seeks to conserve the flying foxes in the region and elaborate on research done on the threats faced by this particular species and acquire population data. They wish to quantify the ecological services provided by flying foxes to help increase incentive for their conservation.
Methods taken by SEABCRU include collating population data to a centralised database and providing public forums and awareness session to local communities to advocate for the protection of flying foxes.
SEABCRU’s efforts are crucial when it comes to the conservation of bats in Southeast Asia. Despite their prevalence, bats are among the least-known vertebrates in Southeast Asia and they are under substantial threat. The region-wide approach taken by SEABCRU can be paramount to conservation efforts in-country. With more local communities beginning to take notice of bats, the presence of SEABCRU can be pivotal in organising comprehensive collaborations.
With clear aims in mind, SEABCRU provides ray of light that the rapidly declining bat species can be saved. For more information on SEABCRU, visit their website here: http://www.seabcru.org/
If you are interested in finding out what YOU can do for these furry little creatures, click here.