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We organized the 2nd Romanian Bat Research Conference at the Dianthus Refuge, at Plaiul- Foii, Brașov county, in the period 28-30 October 2016.

The conference was organized within the project “Uniting the Efforts of Romanian bat conservation”, implemented during the 2015-2017 Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme, with the support of Arbeitskreis Fledermause Sachsen-Anhalt, Pettersson Elektronik AB, BUND Freunde der Erde, Warwickshire Bat Group, Daisler Print House and many others.

CNCR 2016

Due to the wonderful location of Plaiul-Foii in the King’s Stone Mountains, and thanks to, among others, the excellent hosting by the Dianthus’s staff, the conference was held in a very constructive atmosphere. Per total, there were 13 oral and 6 poster presentations:

  • Marius-Alexandru Ciocănău, Dragoș Ștefan Măntoiu, Stelian Baraitareanu, Doina Danes: The necessity of integrating the concept of „One health” among bat workers.
  • Alexandra Corduneanu, Andrei Daniel Mihalca, Kristýna Hrazdilová, David Modry, Sándor Hornok, Attila D. Sándor: Detection of canine pathogens in bat tissues.
  • Irina Elena Pocora, Viorel Pocora: Study about the identification and mapping of Annex II bat species in the Natura 2000 site ROSCI0069 Domogled – Valea Cernei.
  • Adrian Done, Oana Mirela Chachula, Gheorghe Romașcan: 15 years of monitoring in the Natura 2000 site Rarău – Giumalău.
  • Daniela (Borda) Cociuba, Raluca Uricariu, Janez Mulec: Bat caves and guano in Romania – a potential biohazard?
  • Szilárd Bücs, Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Levente Barti, Farkas Szodoray-Parádi, Annamária Dóczy, László Szántó: Cave-dwelling bats of Romania: current status and challenges of durable protection.
  • Tatiana  Done, Adrian Done, Oana Mirela Chachula: “The European Bat Night” from 2001 to present – participation of the Bucovina Speleological Foundation.
  • Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Szilárd Bücs, Levente Barti, Farkas Szodoray-Parádi, Csaba Bartha, Endre Jakab: Aspects regarding bat activity in the swarming period at underground roosts in the Apuseni Mts.
  • Ioan Coroiu, Ferenc Forray, Corina Ițcuș, Alin David, Bogdan Onac, Traian Brad, Alexandru Nicolae Stermin, Alexandra Negruț: Zidită de la Mada Cave – an important bat roost.
  • Oana Mirela Chachula, Irina Elena Pocora: 10 years after the death of Prof. Niculai Valenciuc.
  • Ioan Coroiu, Regina Klüppel, Sever Covaciu-Marcov, Anda Culișir: Roost fidelity in case of bats.
  • Szilárd Bücs: The Lilieci.ro portal – a necessary tool for Romanian bat protection.
  • Oana Mirela Chachula: Cave exploration and research in NE India, Meghalaya.
  • Levente Barti, Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Attila D. Sándor, Szilárd Bücs: Cases of leucism in some Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) populations from Romania.
  • Dragoș Bălășoiu, Alexandra Telea: Forest dwelling bats and wind farms: case study in a wind farm of Dobrogea.
  • Oana Mirela Chachula, Ioan Coroiu, Georgiana Mărginean: The Humor Monoastery – between the conservation of patrimony and colonies, new data about the Myotis myotis/blythii colony.
  • Oana Mirela Chachula, Cătălin-Răzvan Stanciu, Dragoș Ștefan Măntoiu, Georgiana Mărginean: Aspects about the bat population of the Natura 2000 site Pădurea și Valea Canaraua Fetii – Iortmac (ROSCI0172), Constanța county, Romania.
  • Daniela (Borda) Cociuba, Ruxandra Năstase-Bucur, Marius Kenesz, Alex Petculescu: The Tăușoare cave – a hibernacula of national importance.
  • Dragoş Ş. Măntoiu, Ionuț C. Mirea, Ruxandra Năstase-Bucur, Daniela (Borda) Cociuba, Oana T. Moldovan: Bats from tourist caves: spatial models of optimal habitat selection based on microclimate.

Based on popular vote of participants, the prize for the best oral presentation was awarded to Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Szilard Bücs, Levente Barti, Farkas Szodoray-Parádi, Csaba Bartha and Endre Jakab, with a presentation on bat activity during the swarming period at underground roosts in the Apuseni Mountains. The prize, an ultrasound detector D240X was offered by Pettersson Elektronik AB.

Similarly, the award for best poster presentation was given to Levente Barti, Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Attila D. Sándor and Szilárd Bücs for a poster on leucism cases in Barbastella barbastellus from Romania. The award was Dietz and Kiefer’s new book (2016), offered by the conference organizers.

The conference included three thematic debates, specifically on (1) conflict mediation between humans and bats in urban settings, (2) ethical aspects of bat research, and (3) communication inside the Romanian bat research community.

After the scientific program, our colleague Oana delighted us with a series of slideshows from India, taken in frame of the “Meghalaya – Caving in the abode of the clouds” caving and biospeleological expeditions.

We hope that all participants had a good time and that the next conference will bring together even more colleagues from this field.

Thank you for your participation and contributions!

Discover more pictures in the gallery dedicated to the event!