Habitat-associated and temporal patterns of bat activity in a diverse forest landscape of southern New England, USA

Abstract

The development and use of acoustic recording technology, surveys have revealed the composition, relative levels of activity, and preliminary habitat use of bat communities of various forest locations. However, detailed examinations of acoustic surveys results to investigate temporal patterns of bat activity are rare. Initial active acoustic surveys of bat activity on the Quabbin Reservoir watershed in central Massachusetts recorded high numbers of call sequences by Wve bat species. The results showed the importance of aquatic and open habitats for bats in this diverse forest landscape. Because the preliminary surveys were restricted in extent (habitats), number (replicates), and duration (active surveys only, limited number of repeated surveys), the authors strongly recommended more comprehensive and extensive surveys of bat activity on the area. This paper reports the results of active (manual) and passive (automated) acoustic bat activity surveys in three replicates of ten habitats, conducted three to four times per year over the course of the study between 2004 and 2006. Over the full study, 2,800 actively-recorded 37,632 passivelyrecorded call sequences were examined and identiWed to species when possible. General patterns in activity did not diVer by habitat between the two survey methods. Call sequences were recorded more often in open, especially aquatic habitats than in cluttered habitats. The use of passive surveys allowed for the assessment of temporal patterns of activity and an analysis of the relationship between ambient temperature and activity.

Habitat use and seasonal activity of insectivorous bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the grasslands of southern Brazil

“…The winter is the most critical period for the energy balance of insectivorous bats because low temperatures reduce insect abundance and activity (TAY-LOR 1963, WOLDA 1988 and increase heat loss (RANSOME 1990), making foraging less profitable. In the study area, bat activity was positively correlated with temperature, as in other temperate regions (AVERY 1985, BROOKS 2009, BRODERS et al 2006, and the low activity levels in winter was a response of bats to low temperatures.…”

“…The association of insectivorous bats with forest edges has been broadly documented for other regions (LUMSDEN & BENNETT 2005, KOFOKY et al 2007, MORRIS et al 2010. This is also true for aquatic habitats (LUNDE & HARESTAD 1986, VAUGHAN et al 1997, BROOKS 2009). The use of the eucalyptus stand and the channel were probably due to the availability of aerial insects, which are frequently abundant in forest edges (LEWIS 1970) and water bodies (BARCLAY 1991).…”

“…Bats are highly active in forests and forest fragments in rural areas (ERICKSON & WEST 2003, LUMSDEN & BENNETT 2005, mainly in hedgerows and forest edges (RUSS et al 2003, PETTIT & WILKINS 2012, as well as around rivers, lakes, and lagoons (VAUGHAN et al 1997, BROOKS 2009). Furthermore, in temperate regions the activity levels of bats vary seasonally in response to fluctuations in climatic conditions and their own energy requirements throughout the year (CIECHANOWSKI et al 2010, JOHNSON et al 2011.…”

An Incremental Economic Analysis of Establishing Early Successional Habitat for Biodiversity

“…Especially important is the bats' response to forest management practices like timber harvesting that impact their habitat. Few studies in the southeastern United States have addressed these issues [38,39].…”

Developing macrohabitat models for bats in parks using maxent and testing them with data collected by citizen scientists

“…Methods of echolocation monitoring followed those previously well established (Brooks and Ford, 2005;Brooks, 2009;Ford et al, 2005;Ford et al, 2006;Francl et al, 2004;Francl, 2008) for acoustic monitoring. Four sites within a quarter of a mile to each other were surveyed in the same night and each was actively surveyed for 20 minbefore moving onto the next site.…”