Chiropteran chatter in Chautauqua, NY (USA): Using acoustic sampling and geographic information systems to create a baseline bat habitat dataset

Understanding bat habitat use and how bat activity changes in response to differing habitats across time and space is critical in developing and implementing effective bat conservation actions. To investigate the utility of geographic information systems (GIS) in studying bat habitat interactions, habitat delineations and bioacoustic sampling were conducted along two transects in Chautauqua County, NY (USA) from mid-May until the end of August 2013. Surveys were vehicular, and driven between 29 and 32 kmph in order to match bats' flying speed. They were conducted starting 30 min after sunset on nights where the temperature was greater than 13 °C. In total, twenty surveys were completed, and 1248 bat calls were identified to species. Mixed models regression analysis revealed significant interactions among all of the species of bat analyzed in the model. The model was supported with a secondary analysis comparing bat call density with land cover. This study supports the hypothesis that bats forage in different habitats at the species level and indicates the importance of forested areas to bats. Additionally, the methodology for this study has the potential to gather large data sets in a short period of time, while collecting data on several species of bat at once and has been shown to be useful in identifying important habitat features for bats using bioacoustics and geospatial analysis. Since the data has been collected following state guidelines, the dataset and its analysis establish a baseline for future data collection campaigns and in performing a similar analysis for other regions within the state of New York or areas worldwide.

Nightly torpor use in response to weather conditions and individual state in an insectivorous bat

Torpor is a well-known energy conservation strategy in many mammal and bird species. It is often employed when environmental conditions are unfavourable to maximize survival probabilities. However, torpor often carries with it the physiological costs of a low body temperature and of rewarming in addition to potential missed opportunities for foraging. Therefore, we hypothesised that decision making regarding when to use torpor should reflect the most important environmental conditions for species distributions, and thus how they may be impacted by ongoing climate change. We investigated how weather conditions affect nightly torpor patterns in the nocturnal insectivorous Australian eastern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus bifax). By measuring the skin temperature of 37 free-ranging individuals, we confirmed that torpor was used more frequently during the winter and at subtropical compared to tropical locations. Using mixed-effect models we show that lower ambient temperatures were the main driver of individual torpor use, probably due to lower roost temperatures and prey availability. However, increased rain, wind and humidity, and decreasing barometric pressure, as well as brighter moonlight, also led to more time spent torpid per night. We suggest that bats evaluate multiple environmental cues to make decisions regarding torpor use versus active foraging based upon their expectations of the energetic benefits, prey availability and relative predation risk. Interactions between some of these effects and body mass (whilst controlling for forearm length) indicate that individual variation in body size and/or state-dependent effects of energy reserves also partly determined the use of nightly torpor in these bats.

Nine years of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) spring migration behavior

The endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) congregates in large hibernation groups in winter and travels after spring emergence to form summer maternity colonies, but information on migration behavior in this species remains limited to mostly band recovery observations. We tracked female Indiana bats in spring migration toward summer grounds using aerial radiotelemetry. Adult female Indiana bats were radiotagged in spring from 2009 through 2017, with 15 individuals successfully tracked to summer grounds and an additional 11 bats located in summer grounds via aerial telemetry after migration was complete. This resulted in the location of 17 previously unknown summer grounds for female Indiana bats, including adding Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the summer maternity range. Two of the colonies identified in this study were south of the previously known southernmost colony in Tennessee, expanding the summer maternity range for the species by 178 km. Time-stamped location fixes along the migration path provided information about nightly and overall distances traveled, duration of travel, migration speed, and weather-related influences on bat behavior. Bats traveled 164.6 ± 26.2 km (± SE) on average from hibernacula to summer grounds and were migrating for an average of 7.3 ± 1.4 calendar nights. Bats alternated between foraging and traveling throughout each night of their migration route. Nightly migration rate was 9.9 ± 0.8 km/h and bats were active on the landscape for an average of 6.1 ± 0.4 h/night. Lower nighttime temperatures and lower barometric pressure correlated with use of layover areas during a migration night. Understanding bat behavior during migration can provide pertinent information for land managers to consider in efforts to conserve potential migration corridors, foraging areas, and roosting habitats of species in decline.

Evolution of a Structure-Searchable Database into a Prototype for a High-Fidelity SmartPhone App for 62 Common Pesticides Used in Delaware

Synthetic pesticides are widely used in the modern world for human benefit. They are usually classified according to their intended pest target. In Delaware (DE), approximately 42 percent of the arable land is used for agriculture. In order to manage insectivorous and herbaceous pests (such as insects, weeds, nematodes, and rodents), pesticides are used profusely to biologically control the normal pest's life stage. In this undergraduate project, we first created a usable relational database containing 62 agricultural pesticides that are common in Delaware. Chemically pertinent quantitative and qualitative information was first stored in Bio-Rad's KnowItAll® Informatics System. Next, we extracted the data out of the KnowItAll® system and created additional sections on a Microsoft® Excel spreadsheet detailing pesticide use(s) and safety and handling information. Finally, in an effort to promote good agricultural practices, to increase efficiency in business decisions, and to make pesticide data globally accessible, we developed a mobile application for smartphones that displayed the pesticide database using Appery.io™; a cloud-based HyperText Markup Language (HTML5), jQuery Mobile and Hybrid Mobile app builder.

The depth of edge influence among insectivorous bats at forest–field interfaces

Species-specific variations in wing morphology and echolocation call characteristics often define which of three structural habitat types (open, cluttered, and edge) different bat species most frequently and efficiently use for foraging. Although edges are recognized as important habitats for commuting and foraging bats, no study to date has examined the depth of edge influence (DEI), the extent of quantitative changes in activity with distance from an edge, for any bat species. We focused our study on five species: northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897); hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus (Beauvois, 1796); little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus (LeConte, 1831); silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans (LeConte, 1831); big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois, 1796). We predicted DEI would vary with species-specific differences in wing morphology and echolocation call characteristics. From June to August in 2010 and 2011, we passively recorded echolocation calls three to four times per month at eight sites in eastern Ontario, Canada. We found that species’ activity was highest at the edge, regardless of wing morphology and echolocation call characteristics. The DEI for all species was approximately 40 m into both forests and fields. Understanding the effects of DEI on bats will enable more effective acoustic monitoring in future studies and may provide crucial information for management decisions.