Multiple scan tomography to assess bat roost cavities

我请求资金购买Argus Electronics GmbH制造的Picus Sonic断层扫描仪(Picus 10蓝牙设备)。该断层扫描仪是获取活树或死树内部结构的最准确的三维图像，特别是栖息蝙蝠和鸟类使用的树洞。断层摄影术可以定量地评估树木的结构，最重要的是，对我们的研究来说，是非破坏性的。收集的数据将用于量化蝙蝠和鸟类使用的洞穴的体积和结构。我们预测，洞穴特有的特征，其属性比我们能够评估的更微妙，构成了蝙蝠选择栖息地的基础。这一假设正在接受一名理科硕士学生的测试，但考虑到我们的工作发生在公园里，蝙蝠使用的树木数量有限，破坏性采样是不可能的。随后的MSC项目的目的将是测量自由放飞的蝙蝠的新陈代谢。虽然遥测使我们能够评估个体何时使用麻木，但如果没有现场新陈代谢测量，准确估计实际节省的能量是不可能的。通过了解空洞的体积和任何一天在空洞中的个体数量，我们可以使用空洞的空气样本来精确测量氧气周转，从而进行新陈代谢。断层扫描仪还将被用来对已知的空洞进行年度测量，以评估衰退率。这一点与蝙蝠在不同年份使用空洞的数据相结合，将能够预测作为蝙蝠资源的空洞的寿命，从而预测必须以多大的速度招募新的空洞来维持稳定的蝙蝠种群。

I request funds to purchase a PiCUS Sonic Tomograph (PiCUS 10 Bluetooth unit) made by Argus Electronic GMBH.  Tomography represents the most accurate way to acquire three dimensional images of the internal structure of live or dead trees, specifically tree cavities used by roosting bats and birds. Tomography assesses the structure of trees quantitatively and most importantly for our studies, non-destructively. The data collected will be used to quantify the volume and structure of cavities used by bats and birds. We predict that cavity-specific features, with attributes more subtle than we have been able to assess, form the basis for roost site selection by bats. This hypothesis is being tested by a current MSc student but given that our work occurs in a park and there are a limited number of trees used by bats, destructive sampling is not possible. The purpose of a subsequent MSc project will be to measure metabolism by free-ranging bats.  While telemetry enables us to assess when individuals use torpor, precise estimates of the actual energy savings are not possible without field metabolic measurements.  By knowing the volume of cavities and the number of individuals in them on any given day, we can use air samples from cavities to make precise measurements of oxygen turnover and hence metabolism. The tomograph will also be used to make annual measurements on known cavities to assess decay rate.  This coupled with data on cavity use by bats between years will allow for predictions about the longevity of cavities as resources for bats and thus the rate at which new cavities must be recruited to maintain stable bat populations.