Temperature shifts associated with bat arousals during hibernation inhibit the growth of
            <i>Pseudogymnoascus destructans</i>

Forney, Ronny; Rios-Sotelo, Gabriela; Lindauer, Alexa; Willis, Craig K. R.; Voyles, Jamie

doi:10.1098/rsos.211986

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Of further importance, Tsk > 20°C are not amenable to Pd growth, and changes in the structural morphology of Pd grown at elevated temperatures (12-19.5°C) suggest these conditions are stressful for the fungus and limit its overall reproductive capacity (Verant et al 2012). Additionally, frequent temperature fluctuations ranging from 8-25°C significantly reduce Pd growth in vitro (Forney et al 2022). Thus, short PdBD due to passive Tsk fluctuations might limit fungal growth and disease severity, though severity might vary across years depending on ambient weather conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roost thermal stability influences winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

Newman

Loeb

Jachowski

2023

Preprint

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Some hibernating bats in thermally stable, subterranean roosts have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS). However, some WNS-affected species also use thermally unstable roosts during winter which may impact their torpor patterns and WNS susceptibility. From November to March 2017-2019, we used temperature-sensitive transmitters to document winter torpor patterns of tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) using thermally unstable roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Daily mean roost temperature fluctuation was 4.8 ± 2°C SD in bridges and 4.0 ± 1.9°C in accessible cavities with maximum fluctuations of 13.8°C and 10.5°C, respectively. Mean torpor bout duration was 2.7 ± 2.8 days and was negatively related to ambient temperature and positively related to precipitation. Bats maintained non-random arousal patterns focused near dusk and were active on 33.6% of tracked days. Fifty-one percent of arousals contained passive rewarming. Normothermic bout duration, general activity, and activity away from the roost were positively related to ambient temperature, and activity away from the roost was negatively related to barometric pressure. Our results suggest ambient weather conditions influence winter torpor patterns of tri-colored bats using thermally unstable roosts. Short torpor bout durations and potential nighttime foraging during winter by tri-colored bats in thermally unstable roosts contrasts with behaviors of tri-colored bats in thermally stable roosts. Therefore, tri-colored bat using thermally unstable roosts may be less susceptible to WNS. These results highlight the importance of understanding the effect of roost thermal stability on winter torpor patterns and the physiological flexibility of broadly distributed hibernating species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roost thermal stability influences winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

Newman

Loeb

Jachowski

2023

Preprint

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“…White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has devastated populations of several North American bat species and may ultimately contribute to local extinctions (Turner et al 2022). The interaction between infection and hibernation may also be the fundamental cause of WNS high mortality rates; WNS, among other pathogens (Arnold & Lichtenstein 1993), appears to increase the frequency of arousals during hibernation (Stawski et al 2014, Forney et al 2022, such that bats are more likely to exhaust their energy reserves and starve (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Increased temperature during arousal periods inhibits fungal growth (Forney et al 2022), suggesting the increase in arousal frequency could be a host response to fungal infection. Some bat populations have increased in their southern range, despite WNS and decreases in the north, perhaps due to the longer availability of insects increasing their hibernation resources (Boyles et al 2024).…”

Section: Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation implications of hibernation in mammals

Scopes,

Broome,

Walsh

et al. 2024

Mammal Review

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Hibernation is a life history strategy for conservation of energy during adverse conditions, primarily of temperature or resource availability. Whilst energy conservation is beneficial in itself, it is less clear whether hibernation confers wider conservation benefits or mitigates or exacerbates a wide range of threats. We briefly review how hibernation manifests in mammalian biology, primarily through energy budgets, activity levels and resource requirements, but then ask how these interact with existing pressures to affect conservation risk. We also explore conservation actions that could alleviate the negative relations between some pressures and hibernation biology and review the available evidence for these measures. Hibernation can convey some protection from disease and predation, though there are notable exceptions, for example white‐nose syndrome. There is well‐established evidence that hibernators are prone to hazards of disturbance during hibernation, necessitating careful mitigation. Hibernators exhibit diverse responses to the pressures related to climate change, including temperature variability and phenological and range mismatches. Yet for each aspect, there are examples of species and populations responding negatively, such as with reduced survival, which suggests that hibernation could exacerbate the negative consequences of climate change. Though there are times when hibernators do not respond as expected, we find several positive conservation actions, such as modern grilles and regulations reducing the disturbance of cave‐hibernating bat species. Understanding and working with hibernation biology can, therefore, successfully mitigate the additional risks it confers.

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Thermally unstable roosts influence winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

Newman,

Loeb,

Jachowski

2024

Conservation Physiology

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Many hibernating bats in thermally stable, subterranean roosts have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS). However, some WNS-affected species also use thermally unstable roosts during winter that may impact their torpor patterns and WNS susceptibility. From November to March 2017–19, we used temperature-sensitive transmitters to document winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) using thermally unstable roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Daily mean roost temperature was 12.9 ± 4.9°C SD in bridges and 11.0 ± 4.6°C in accessible cavities with daily fluctuations of 4.8 ± 2°C in bridges and 4.0 ± 1.9°C in accessible cavities and maximum fluctuations of 13.8 and 10.5°C, respectively. Mean torpor bout duration was 2.7 ± 2.8 days and was negatively related to ambient temperature and positively related to precipitation. Bats maintained non-random arousal patterns focused near dusk and were active on 33.6% of tracked days. Fifty-one percent of arousals contained passive rewarming. Normothermic bout duration, general activity and activity away from the roost were positively related to ambient temperature, and activity away from the roost was negatively related to barometric pressure. Our results suggest ambient weather conditions influence winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats using thermally unstable roosts. Short torpor bout durations and potential nighttime foraging during winter by tricolored bats in thermally unstable roosts contrasts with behaviors of tricolored bats in thermally stable roosts. Therefore, tricolored bat using thermally unstable roosts may be less susceptible to WNS. More broadly, these results highlight the importance of understanding the effect of roost thermal stability on winter torpor patterns and the physiological flexibility of broadly distributed hibernating species.

show abstract

Temperature shifts associated with bat arousals during hibernation inhibit the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Cited by 5 publications

References 53 publications

Roost thermal stability influences winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

Roost thermal stability influences winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

Conservation implications of hibernation in mammals

Thermally unstable roosts influence winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species

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