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Cicero C, Koo MS, Braker E, Abbott J, Bloom D, Campbell M, Cook JA, Demboski JR, Doll AC, Frederick LM, Linn AJ, Mayfield-Meyer TJ, McDonald DL, Nachman MW, Olson LE, Roberts D, Sikes DS, Witt CC, Wommack EA. Arctos: Community-driven innovations for managing natural and cultural history collections. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296478. [PMID: 38820381 PMCID: PMC11142579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
More than tools for managing physical and digital objects, museum collection management systems (CMS) serve as platforms for structuring, integrating, and making accessible the rich data embodied by natural history collections. Here we describe Arctos, a scalable community solution for managing and publishing global biological, geological, and cultural collections data for research and education. Specific goals are to: (1) Describe the core features and implementation of Arctos for a broad audience with respect to the biodiversity informatics principles that enable high quality research; (2) Highlight the unique aspects of Arctos; (3) Illustrate Arctos as a model for supporting and enhancing the Digital Extended Specimen concept; and (4) Emphasize the role of the Arctos community for improving data discovery and enabling cross-disciplinary, integrative studies within a sustainable governance model. In addition to detailing Arctos as both a community of museum professionals and a collection database platform, we discuss how Arctos achieves its richly annotated data by creating a web of knowledge with deep connections between catalog records and derived or associated data. We also highlight the value of Arctos as an educational resource. Finally, we present the financial model of fiscal sponsorship by a nonprofit organization, implemented in 2022, to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of Arctos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Cicero
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Michelle S. Koo
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Emily Braker
- University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - John Abbott
- Department of Museums Research and Collections and Alabama Museum of Natural History, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States of America
| | - David Bloom
- VertNet, Sebastopol, California, United States of America
| | - Mariel Campbell
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Joseph A. Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - John R. Demboski
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Doll
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Frederick
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Angela J. Linn
- University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | | | | | - Michael W. Nachman
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Link E. Olson
- University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Dawn Roberts
- Chicago Academy of Sciences, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Derek S. Sikes
- University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
- Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Christopher C. Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Wommack
- University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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2
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Voigt CC, Bernard E, Huang JCC, Frick WF, Kerbiriou C, MacEwan K, Mathews F, Rodríguez-Durán A, Scholz C, Webala PW, Welbergen J, Whitby M. Toward solving the global green-green dilemma between wind energy production and bat conservation. Bioscience 2024; 74:240-252. [PMID: 38720909 PMCID: PMC11075649 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wind energy production is growing rapidly worldwide in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, wind energy production is not environmentally neutral. Negative impacts on volant animals, such as bats, include fatalities at turbines and habitat loss due to land-use change and displacement. Siting turbines away from ecologically sensitive areas and implementing measures to reduce fatalities are critical to protecting bat populations. Restricting turbine operations during periods of high bat activity is the most effective form of mitigation currently available to reduce fatalities. Compensating for habitat loss and offsetting mortality are not often practiced, because meaningful offsets are lacking. Legal frameworks to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of wind energy on bats are absent in most countries, especially in emerging markets. Therefore, governments and lending institutions are key in reconciling wind energy production with biodiversity goals by requiring sufficient environmental standards for wind energy projects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada a Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Joe Chun-Chia Huang
- Department of Life Science at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | | | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique at Sorbonne Université Station Marine, in Concarneau, France
| | - Kate MacEwan
- Western EcoSystems Technology, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, Falmer, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carolin Scholz
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management at Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Justin Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Whitby
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, United States
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3
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Wieringa JG, Nagel J, Campbell C, Nelson DM, Carstens BC, Gibbs HL. Geographic source of bats killed at wind-energy facilities in the eastern United States. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16796. [PMID: 38332805 PMCID: PMC10851872 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Bats subject to high rates of fatalities at wind-energy facilities are of high conservation concern due to the long-term, cumulative effects they have, but the impact on broader bat populations can be difficult to assess. One reason is the poor understanding of the geographic source of individual fatalities and whether they constitute migrants or more local individuals. Here, we used stable hydrogen isotopes, trace elements and species distribution models to determine the most likely summer geographic origins of three different bat species (Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, and Lasionycteris noctivagans) killed at wind-energy facilities in Ohio and Maryland in the eastern United States. In Ohio, 41.6%, 21.3%, 2.2% of all individuals of L. borealis, L. cinereus, and L. noctivagans, respectively, had evidence of movement. In contrast, in Maryland 77.3%, 37.1%, and 27.3% of these same species were classified as migrants. Our results suggest bats killed at a given wind facility are likely derived from migratory as well as resident populations. Finally, there is variation in the proportion of migrants killed between seasons for some species and evidence of philopatry to summer roosts. Overall, these results indicate that the impact of wind-energy facilities on bat populations occurs across a large geographic extent, with the proportion of migrants impacted likely to vary across species and sites. Similar studies should be conducted across a broader geographic scale to understand the impacts on bat populations from wind-energy facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin G. Wieringa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Juliet Nagel
- Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland - Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - C.J. Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - David M. Nelson
- Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland - Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Bryan C. Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - H. Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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4
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Beilke EA, Sanchez JF, Hews DK, O'Keefe JM. Sexual dichromatism in the fur of a bat: An exploration of color differences and potential signaling functions. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11023. [PMID: 38371860 PMCID: PMC10870327 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in body color (i.e., sexual dichromatism) are rare in bats and, more broadly, in mammals. The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is a common tree-roosting bat that occupies much of North America and has long been described as sexually dichromatic. However, previous research on this species found that absolute body size and collection year were better predictors of fur color in preserved specimens than sex. We revisited this issue and photographed 82 live eastern red bats under standardized conditions, then used image analysis to quantify pelage hue, saturation, and value. We used an information theoretic approach to evaluate four competing hypotheses about the principal drivers of color differences in the fur of eastern red bats. Our analyses demonstrated that sex was a better predictor of pelage color than body size; males had redder, more saturated, and lighter pelages than females. Additionally, the fur color of juvenile versus adult bats differed somewhat, as juveniles were darker than adults. In general, absolute body size (i.e., forearm length in bats) was a poor predictor of color in live eastern red bats. In an exploratory post-hoc analysis, we confirm that fur color is related to body mass (i.e., a proxy for body condition in bats), suggesting color might serve as a sexually selected signal of mate quality in this partially diurnal species. Future work should investigate the functional role of sexual dichromatism in this species, which could be related to signaling or possibly thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Beilke
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jahshua F. Sanchez
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Diana K. Hews
- Department of BiologyIndiana State UniversityTerre HauteIndianaUSA
| | - Joy M. O'Keefe
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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True MC, Gorman KM, Taylor H, Reynolds RJ, Ford WM. Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:35. [PMID: 37316899 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) are present during fall mating and migration, though little is currently known about most aspects of bat migration. To reveal migration patterns, and understand drivers of over-water flight, we captured and radio-tagged 115 eastern red bats using novel technology, and subsequently tracked and described their movements throughout the region. We compared over-water flight movements to randomly generated patterns using a use-availability framework, and subsequently used a generalized linear mixed effects model to assess the relationship of over-water flight to atmospheric variables. We used hidden Markov models to assess daily activity patterns and site residency. Most bats with long-distance movements traveled in a southwesterly direction, however path vectors were often oriented interior toward the continental landmass rather than along the coastline. We observed that some bats transited wide sections of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays, confirming their ability to travel across large water bodies. This over-water flight typically occurred in the early hours of the night and during favorable flying conditions. If flight over large water bodies is a proxy for over-ocean flight, then collision risk at offshore wind turbines - a major source of migratory bat fatalities - may be linked nightly to warm temperatures that occur early in the fall season. Risk, then, may be somewhat predictable and manageable with mitigation options linking wind-energy operation to weather conditions and seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C True
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA
| | - Katherine M Gorman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 149 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA.
| | - Hila Taylor
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 149 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA
| | - Richard J Reynolds
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, 517 Lee Hwy, Verona, VA, 24482, USA
| | - W Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 106 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA
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6
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Gaulke SM, Hohoff T, Rogness BA, Davis MA. Sampling methodology influences habitat suitability modeling for chiropteran species. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10161. [PMID: 37304362 PMCID: PMC10256621 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Technological advances increase opportunities for novel wildlife survey methods. With increased detection methods, many organizations and agencies are creating habitat suitability models (HSMs) to identify critical habitats and prioritize conservation measures. However, multiple occurrence data types are used independently to create these HSMs with little understanding of how biases inherent to those data might impact HSM efficacy. We sought to understand how different data types can influence HSMs using three bat species (Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, and Perimyotis subflavus). We compared the overlap of models created from passive-only (acoustics), active-only (mist-netting and wind turbine mortalities), and combined occurrences to identify the effect of multiple data types and detection bias. For each species, the active-only models had the highest discriminatory ability to tell occurrence from background points and for two of the three species, active-only models preformed best at maximizing the discrimination between presence and absence values. By comparing the niche overlaps of HSMs between data types, we found a high amount of variation with no species having over 45% overlap between the models. Passive models showed more suitable habitat in agricultural lands, while active models showed higher suitability in forested land, reflecting sampling bias. Overall, our results emphasize the need to carefully consider the influences of detection and survey biases on modeling, especially when combining multiple data types or using single data types to inform management interventions. Biases from sampling, behavior at the time of detection, false positive rates, and species life history intertwine to create striking differences among models. The final model output should consider biases of each detection type, particularly when the goal is to inform management decisions, as one data type may support very different management strategies than another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Gaulke
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Tara Hohoff
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Brittany A. Rogness
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Mark A. Davis
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
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7
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Dobson R, Challinor AJ, Cheke RA, Jennings S, Willis SG, Dallimer M. dynamicSDM
: An R package for species geographical distribution and abundance modelling at high spatiotemporal resolution. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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8
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Gaulke SM, Cable AB, Hohoff TC, Rogness BA, Davis MA. One model to rule them all: identifying priority bat habitats from multi‐species habitat suitability models. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Gaulke
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 1816 S Oak Street Champaign IL 61820 USA
| | - Ashleigh B. Cable
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries University of Tennessee Knoxville 2505 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville TN 37996 USA
| | - Tara C. Hohoff
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 1816 S Oak Street Champaign IL 61820 USA
| | - Brittany A. Rogness
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 1816 S Oak Street Champaign IL 61820 USA
| | - Mark A. Davis
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 1816 S Oak Street Champaign IL 61820 USA
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9
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Barré K, Froidevaux JSP, Leroux C, Mariton L, Fritze M, Kerbiriou C, Le Viol I, Bas Y, Roemer C. Over a decade of failure to implement
UNEP
/
EUROBATS
guidelines in wind energy planning: A call for action. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Barré
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
| | - Jérémy S. P. Froidevaux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Camille Leroux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Auddicé Biodiversité–ZAC du Chevalement Roost‐Warendin France
| | - Léa Mariton
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement Paris France
| | - Marcus Fritze
- German Bat Observatory Berlin Germany
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation University of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
| | - Yves Bas
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Charlotte Roemer
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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10
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Informing wind energy development: Land cover and topography predict occupancy for Arizona bats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268573. [PMID: 35657796 PMCID: PMC9165840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind energy is a growing source of renewable energy with a 3-fold increase in use globally over the last decade. However, wind turbines cause bat mortality, especially for migratory species. The southwest United States has high bat species diversity and is an important area for migratory species, although little is known about their seasonal distribution. To examine potential risk to bats in areas proposed for wind energy development, we characterized bat occupancy spatially and temporally across northern Arizona, identifying use during summer when bats are reproductively active and fall during the migratory season. Our objectives were to determine occupancy of migratory species and species of greatest conservation need and develop a probability of occupancy map for species to identify areas of potential conflict with wind energy development. We selected 92 sites in 10 clusters with potential for development and used acoustic detectors to sample bats in the summer and fall of 2016 and 2017 for 6 nights per site per year. We predicted response of migratory bat species and species of special concern to 9 landscape variables using Program MARK. During summer, higher densities of forest on the landscape resulted in a higher probability of occupancy of migratory species such as hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), big free-tailed bats (Nyctinomops macrotis), and species of conservation need such as spotted bats (Euderma maculatum). During the fall, higher concentration of valleys on the landscape predicted occupancy of hoary bats, big free-tailed bats, and spotted bats. High bat occupancy in the fall was also associated with higher elevation and close proximity to forests. We recommend that wind turbines be placed in open, flat grasslands away from forested landscapes and concentrations of valleys or other topographic variation.
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11
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OUP accepted manuscript. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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