Asmus Jarno, Frommolt Karl-Heinz, Knörnschild Mirjam
Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany.
Evolutionary Ethology, Institute for Biology Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin Berlin Germany.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Jul 29;15(8):e71883. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71883. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Imagine solving a puzzle where half the pieces are missing: Acoustic bat monitoring, a key method for studying species distribution and population shifts, depends on purpose-specific parameters and clear documentation. Without detailed information on these specific parameters, mainly the employed hard- and software, reproducibility and cross-study comparability are not given. This comparability is imperative to address the gaps in bat population data, which have been described as one of the major threats to global bat biodiversity. We aimed to identify the parameters critical for the accurate interpretation and reproducibility of acoustic bat monitoring and assess how these parameters are communicated in existing studies. Using the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed studies that employed acoustic bat surveys or monitoring in European forests since 2008. Our review focused on three primary components: (1) recording devices and their settings, (2) call identification protocols, and (3) bat activity interpretation methods. Over 90% of the reviewed studies lacked basic methodological parameters. In all areas, we observed incomplete reporting of settings, unreproducible call identification protocols, and data interpretation methods that did not provide access to underlying data. We found a wide range of acoustic bat monitoring methods applied to diverse research questions. This variability underscores the fact that recommending a single approach is neither practical nor desirable. However, consistent reporting of equipment and methods is essential for improving transparency across studies. A standardized framework specifying key parameters for reporting would enhance comparability, support data reuse, and promote more robust bat monitoring and acoustic research. The lack of standardization does not reflect poorly on the researchers' competence or intent but emphasizes the need for a unified approach to bioacoustics methodology. We propose a standardized framework for reporting methodological parameters in acoustic bat monitoring to improve comparability, reproducibility, and transparency across studies.
想象一下，要解决一个缺少一半拼图碎片的谜题：声学蝙蝠监测作为研究物种分布和种群变化的关键方法，依赖于特定目的的参数和清晰的文档记录。如果没有关于这些特定参数的详细信息，主要是所使用的硬件和软件，就无法实现可重复性和跨研究的可比性。这种可比性对于填补蝙蝠种群数据的空白至关重要，而蝙蝠种群数据空白已被描述为对全球蝙蝠生物多样性的主要威胁之一。我们旨在确定对于声学蝙蝠监测的准确解读和可重复性至关重要的参数，并评估这些参数在现有研究中是如何传达的。我们使用PRISMA指南，系统回顾了自2008年以来在欧洲森林中采用声学蝙蝠调查或监测的研究。我们的综述聚焦于三个主要部分：（1）记录设备及其设置，（2）叫声识别协议，以及（3）蝙蝠活动解读方法。超过90%的被综述研究缺乏基本的方法学参数。在所有领域，我们都观察到设置报告不完整、不可重复的叫声识别协议以及无法获取基础数据的数据解读方法。我们发现各种各样的声学蝙蝠监测方法被应用于不同的研究问题。这种变异性凸显了这样一个事实，即推荐单一方法既不实际也不可取。然而，设备和方法的一致报告对于提高研究间的透明度至关重要。一个规定报告关键参数的标准化框架将增强可比性、支持数据重用，并促进更有力的蝙蝠监测和声学生物学研究。缺乏标准化并非反映研究人员能力不足或意图不佳，而是强调了对生物声学方法采用统一方法的必要性。我们提出了一个用于报告声学蝙蝠监测方法学参数的标准化框架，以提高研究间的可比性、可重复性和透明度。
