ABSTRACT
There are many different types of habitat which need to be protected. Limestone pavements, for example, are covered by the Limestone Pavement Orders, s 34 of the WCA 1981, which prohibit the removal or disturbance of the limestone. Another vulnerable habitat is caves:48
[Caves] are an often forgotten part of our natural heritage ... Current estimates give the total length of mapped cave passage in the British Isles at a figure of around 800 kilometres ... Caves also provide an important habitat for wildlife, including protected species such as bats. Bats are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and it is illegal intentionally to kill, injure or take any bat, or to disturb them whilst roosting. It is also an offence to damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place used by bats for roosting ... Very few bats now breed in caves, but many rely on the underground environment for hibernation and for shelter during inclement weather. Cave dwelling bats, such as the two horseshoe bats, are threatened by loss of underground sites and by excessive disturbance. Although it is not uncommon for bats to wake and move their roost during the hibernation period, it can be very damaging for them to wake at unscheduled times. A conservation code has been produced for those wishing to use caves where bats may be present, and this stresses the importance of leaving hibernating bats undisturbed.
