A range of projects are being undertaken into the ecology, behavior, roost preferences, disturbance response, etc. of a number of species to gain a better understanding and help guide their management. Much of this work is very new, resulting from technological improvements to study bats. Some examples are hand-held bat detectors to record and identify bats in flight and miniature radio-transmitters that allow foraging movements to be followed and specific locations of roosts to be found.

Bats are now routinely surveyed before major developments, although adequate consideration to reduce impacts for all but a few species is hampered by our lack of detailed knowledge about their habitat requirements. One result of this is that major land management agencies across Australia institute a varying range and level of management regimes to protect and manage forest bats and their habitat. Clearly, considerable effort is still required to fully understand this poorly known group of bats. To get more information on the management of forest bats contact your local land management agency.