Activity of European common bats along railway verges

In a context of rapid biodiversity decline, our results suggest that railway verges should be considered by managers and engineers not only as a side aspect of the railroad, but also as elements having a potential role in maintaining common biodiversity, especially in human-dominated landscapes such as agricultural systems. In order to contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity, the management of these verges is crucial and some simple rules are considered. Nevertheless, we stress that further studies are needed to better assess the roles, both positive and negative, of railway verges, in order to propose more precise technical design and management recommendations.