There are 1,001 species of bats, almost a persecuted because people are ignorant of the life history of bats and their role in ecosystems, while in other areas quarter of which are globally threatened. The Chiroptera Specialist Group of IUCN's Species Survival Commission bats are overexploited for food. There is also a general lack of information about the distribution, status, biology has produced two Action Plans examining conservation issues for all species and detailing recommendations and ecology of many species. This review examines some of the more general issues relating to bat conservation. for action to conserve the most threatened species and habitats. These Plans are aimed principally at key decision It provides information on bat faunas of all countries worldwide, and on the most threatened species. It high-makers as well as organisations and individuals who are promoting bat conservation issues. The underlying lights the priority areas where action is needed immediately at a global, regional or national level. It highlights threat to bats is pressure on resources from increasing human populations that leads to the loss or modification in particular the global importance of islands and caves for bats. of foraging habitats and roosts. Bats frequently have a negative public image that influences the response to the problems of rabies and vampire bats in Latin America

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A questionnaire survey and literature review revealed the extent of hunting of bats for bushmeat in the Old World tropics. High levels of offtake were reported throughout Asia, the Pacific islands and some Western Indian Ocean islands, where fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are eaten extensively. Most hunting in Africa was reported in western states and the largest fruit bat Eidolon helvum was preferred. Insectivorous bats are also eaten, particularly Tadarida in Asia. Hunting is both for local consumption and commercial, sometimes involving crossborder transactions. The high levels of hunting reported and the low reproductive rate of bats indicate there are likely to be severe negative effects on bat populations, and declines of several species are documented. Although there has been only one reported attempt to manage offtake, this indicates that it is possible and apparently successful. Furthermore, voluntary controls on hunting have halted declines in bat numbers. There have been several initiatives to reduce hunting pressure and conserve threatened bat species, mainly on islands that, when sustained, have been successful. More education projects and community-based conservation initiatives should be encouraged together with further attempts at sustainable harvesting in situations where disease risk has been evaluated.

The uptake of dissolved organic carbon by three stream bed components ; surface stones, underlying gravel and organic floc was measured in three rivers in North Wales, U .K . Overall, surface stones and underlying gravel appeared to be the major sites of uptake but the relative importance of these two components varied both temporally and spatially . Organic floc was found to be relatively unimportant as a site of dissolved organic carbon uptake .

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