BatMap – authoritative distribution maps for Australian bats
Damian J. Milne A B * , Terry B. Reardon A C and Greg Ford A DA Australasian Bat Society, PO Box 185, Milsons Point, NSW 1565, Australia.
B Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT 0831, Australia.
C South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
D Balance! Environmental, PO Box 1744, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
Australian Mammalogy 45(3) 350-355 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM23005
Submitted: 1 March 2023 Accepted: 2 June 2023 Published: 15 June 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.
Abstract
BatMap is a project that has enabled the development of spatial distribution maps for all mainland Australian and Tasmanian bat species. The distribution maps were developed by bat experts and are actively updated and maintained by utilising the collective knowledge of the members of the Australasian Bat Society. Distribution maps are the most accurate maps that are currently available for Australian bat species. The distribution maps are freely available on-line in a variety of formats. The distribution maps have been used for a variety of purposes, including the assessment of the spatial and taxonomic accuracy of bat records from ecological datasets, particularly datasets that are managed by the Atlas of Living Australia, which are considered by many to be the key source of spatial information for bats. BatMap enables better conservation outcomes for Australian bat fauna through the provision of authoritative, readily accessible and usable maps that can be used to increase the accuracy and reliability of bat records that contribute to decision making processes for conservation purposes.
Keywords: bats, biogeography, habitat preference, mapping, spatial ecology, species distribution.
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