Geology topics

Elaine L. Barr

Publications and source records attributed to Elaine L. Barr.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2024

Seasonal activity patterns of northern long-eared bats on the coastal Mid-Atlantic

Conservation of bats declining from white-nose syndrome (WNS) impacts requires an understanding of both temporal and landscape-level habitat relationships. Traditionally, much of the research on bat ecology has focused on behavior of summer maternity colonies within species’ distribution cores, including that of the endangered northern long-eared bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ). To further our knowledge of this species, we evaluated multi-season activity patterns in eastern North Carolina and Virginia, including areas where populations were recently discovered. We used passive acoustic monitoring to assess relative and probable activity of northern long-eared bats from October 2016 to August 2021. Northern long-eared bat relative activity was greatest in areas containing greater proportions of woody wetlands and upland pine-dominated evergreen forests. However, the likelihood of recording northern long-eared bats was associated with smaller proportions of woody wetlands and open water resources. Furthermore, we observed a higher probability of recording northern long-eared bats during non-winter seasons. Probable activity was greatest at temperatures between 10 and 25 C, potentially highlighting an optimal thermoneutral zone for the species regionally. Relative activity of northern long-eared bats on the Coastal Plain of Virginia and North Carolina was primarily driven by cover features, whereas probable activity was driven by a combination of cover features, seasonality, and temperature. Therefore, acoustical surveys for this species may be most effective when targeting woody wetlands adjacent to upland forests, particularly upland pine-dominated evergreen stands, during moderate temperatures of non-winter seasons (1 April–15 November). Moreover, conservation of a diverse mosaic of woody wetlands juxtaposed by upland forests may promote both roosting and overwintering habitat, thereby enhancing overwintering survival, maternity colony establishment, and ultimately, successful reproduction of northern long-eared bats.

North Carolina, Virginia↗

USGS2023

Network analysis of a northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colony in a suburban forest patch

Many bat species are highly social, forming groups of conspecifics, particularly during the maternity season. In temperate North America, these social groups are typically comprised of closely related individuals or individuals that share some common trait (i.e. reproductive state or shared hibernacula from the previous winter). In the summer, when bats use forests for day-roosts, these social groups often demonstrate nonrandom patterns of periodically associating in common roosts and disassociating using different roosts as a ‘fission–fusion society’. As cave hibernating bat species in North America continue to decline due to the impacts of White-nose Syndrome, opportunities to describe these dynamics are becoming rare. Unfortunately, these patterns often are still poorly documented, yet understanding these behaviors is critical for species-specific habitat conservation and management. In our study, we tracked female northern long-eared bats ( Myotis septentrionalis ) to their day-roosts in a small, suburban forest fragment in coastal New York, USA, in the summers of 2018 and 2019. We confirmed that the bats shared roost sites and, using network analyses, analyzed social dynamics and space use. In contrast to previous research on this imperiled species in large, unfragmented core forests, we found a more dense, connected roost network that concentrated around forest patch edges. Unusual for this species, primary roosts were anthropogenic structures. Our findings suggest that northern long-eared bats can utilize small forest patches and that incorporation of specific types of anthropogenic roosts might be an effective strategy for long-term conservation in more urbanized landscapes where forest management actions to enhance day-roosting conditions a

New York↗

USGS2023

Maximum likelihood estimator and nightly acoustic count values as weight of evidence of bat maternity activity

Since the spread of white-nose syndrome in North America, several bat species have shown precipitous declines in abundance and distribution. With lower netting detection probabilities for the currently threatened but proposed endangered northern long-eared bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ) and endangered Indiana bats ( Myotis sodalis ), determination of presence or absence for regulatory clearance often has shifted to the use of acoustic sur- veys. However, acoustic surveys are unable to differentiate between non-reproductive individuals versus a maternity colony. We used recorded nightly echolocation pass counts of bat species-specific probabilities with maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) scores to determine thresholds by cover type and reproductive period whereby the potential for northern long-eared bat or Indiana bat maternity colonies occurs. Where nightly MLE P- values were <0.05, mean predicted nightly pass counts were significantly higher in areas of known northern long-eared bat and Indiana bat maternity colonies versus sites that were in either species’ distribution but with no maternity activity known. Nightly pass counts (MLE P < 0.05) were higher for sites with observed maternity activity for both bat species across forest, forest-field edge, and riparian areas versus sites where no maternity activity was known. For northern long-eared bats, nightly pass counts were highest in the juvenile volancy period (after 15 July) whereas, for Indiana bats, nightly pass counts were highest in the lactation period (16 June to 15 July). Except for edge conditions for northern long-eared bats, a MLE P < 0.05 combined with nightly pass counts above thresholds developed from surveys at known maternity colony sites for both species may indicate potential presence of a maternity colony locally and provide a tool to more efficiently use targeted mist-netting for further determination.

eastern United States↗

USGS2022

Characteristics of day-roosts used by the Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) in coastal New York

In North America, Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome. As these bats become rare and difficult to capture, additional day-roost assessments to inform management may fill gaps in our understanding, particularly in habitats and regions where such roosts have never been surveyed. Over 2 summers, we radio-tracked 16 individuals from a maternity colony on Long Island, NY, in a small forested patch surrounded by development and ocean. These bats disproportionately selected small, suppressed Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) trees or snags for roosting. Generally, roosts occurred within the interior or edges of this forest patch, rather than surrounding suburbia, reinforcing the hypothesis that Northern Long-eared Bats are forest adapted. Our study shows even small tracts of forest in coastal, urban areas may have conservation value in providing day-roost and foraging habitat.

New York↗

USGS2022

Broad-scale geographic and temporal assessment of northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colony-landscape association

As the federally threatened northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis continues to decline due to white-nose syndrome (WNS) impacts, the application of effective conservation measures is needed but often hindered by the lack of ecological data. To date, recommended management practices have been adopted in part from other federally listed sympatric species such as the endangered Indiana bat M. sodalis . During the maternity season, these measures have largely focused on conservation of known day-roost habitat, often with little consideration for foraging habitat, particularly riparian areas. We examined acoustic activity of northern long-eared bats relative to day-roost and capture data at coastal and interior sites in the District of Columbia, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA, over the course of 6 summers (2015-2020), where maternity activity was still documented after the initial arrival and spread of WNS. Acoustic activity of northern long-eared bats relative to forest cover decreased at the acoustic site level (fine scale) but increased at the sampling region level (coarse scale). We observed a positive association of northern long-eared bat acoustic activity with riparian areas. Additionally, we observed higher levels of activity during pregnancy through early lactation period of the reproductive cycle prior to juvenile volancy. Our findings suggest the need for more explicit inclusion of forested riparian habitats in northern long-eared bat conservation planning. Acoustic sampling in spring and early summer rather than mid- to late summer and in forested riparian areas is the most effective strategy for identifying potential active northern long-eared bat maternity colonies on the local landscape.

Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and We↗

USGS2021

White-nose Syndrome and environmental correlates to landscape-scale bat presence

Over the past 13 years, White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has caused North American bat population declines and shifted community structure towards species less or unaffected by the disease. Mist-netting, acoustic surveys, and cave count data have been used to document changes in bat presence and activity through site-specific, pre- and post-WNS studies. Management and survey guidance often must be applied at a combined landscape and site-specific scale. Our objective was to explore the relationships among WNS impact, influence of available hibernacula, and environmental factors for the nightly presence of 3 WNS-affected bats: the Indiana bat ( Myotis sodalis ), northern long-eared bat ( M. septentrionalis ), and big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ). We used recordings from 10 acoustic monitoring study areas, each with 3 survey locations across the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky to assess changes in nightly bat presence during the summer of 2017. There were significant positive and negative correlates of broad land-cover categories for presence of all 3 bat species. Our findings also corroborated trends in abundance and distribution patterns found in prior, smaller-scale studies, supporting the relevance of land cover categories in a large-scale acoustic monitoring framework. We observed a negative association between WNS impact-years and nightly northern long-eared bat presence, but low occurrence and patchy distribution reduced our ability to infer strong relationships. Big brown bat presence showed a significant positive relationship with WNS occurrence on the landscape, providing evidence that big brown bats are maintaining populations after years of exposure. Indiana bats were the least-documented species, limiting the strength of our conclusions, but we did observe significant temporal patterns in nightly presence, with higher probabilities of presence earlier in the summer. Our results show the potential efficacy of using a WNS impact metric to predict summer bat presence, inform current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acoustic monitoring guidelines, and highlight which environmental variables are relevant for large-scale acoustic monitoring.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗

USGS2021

Post-white-nose syndrome passive acoustic sampling effort for determining bat species occupancy within the mid-Atlantic region

We assessed the sampling effort requirements for detecting the presence of extant bat species following the impact of white-nose syndrome in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. We acoustically sampled 27,796 nights across 846 sites between 15 May and 15 August 2016–2018 within the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. We developed simulations to determine the number of sites required to document bat species when each site was sampled different numbers of nights. We examined these simulations with respect to land cover, physiographic region, and time period. We generally found that sampling a greater number of sample sites within a survey area increased detection more than increasing the number of nights at individual sampling sites. The sampling effort required to detect a given bat species varied by species, as well as land-cover type and physiographic region. Our results suggest that land managers and researchers should use caution in using protocols developed with other objectives, e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered and threatened bat species and the North American Bat monitoring programs’ methods are designed relative to their specific needs. Unfortunately, neither protocol may be adequate for accurately detecting bat communities within all mid-Atlantic areas.

Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia↗

USGS2021

Bat activity patterns relative to temporal and weather effects in a temperate coastal environment

The northeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts of the United States are important summer maternity habitat and seasonal migratory corridors for many species of bats. Additionally, the effects of weather on bat activity are relatively unknown beyond coarse nightly scales. Using acoustic detectors, we assessed nightly and hourly activity patterns for eight species of bats over 21 consecutive months at Fire Island National Seashore, New York. The site is an important bat conservation area because it hosts one of the few confirmed northern long-eared bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ) maternity colonies in the region despite their widespread extirpation due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). There have been no reported captures of little brown bats ( M. lucifugus ), Indiana bats ( M. sodalis ), or tri-colored bats ( Perimyotis subflavus ) at the site post-WNS. Overall, we found mean hourly temperature, time since sunset, day of year, and year to be the most important predictors of bat activity levels for all examined species. Most non-hibernating, migratory species in our study demonstrated a positive relationship to mean temperature at the hourly timescale, whereas cave-hibernating bats tended to show a negative relationship to mean temperature during the time of year when they are expected to be active. Although most bat activity occurred in the late spring through early autumn, peaking in summer, some activity occurred periodically in the winter months, mostly attributable to the big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ) and silver-haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivigans ) phonic group. Unexpectedly, relationships of bat activity to wind and precipitation were largely equivocal. Initial presence (as early as March 30) and departure (between November 1–4) for northern long-eared bats at our study area occurred earlier in the spring and later in the fall than occurs for inland populations, suggesting that the species overwinters on Long Island rather than at inland karst caves or mines. A peak in spring activity characteristic of migratory behavior in the central Appalachians and Atlantic Coast was not observed at Fire Island, although Eastern red bats ( Lasiurus borealis ) and hoary bats (L. cinereus ) – both migratory species – did show a notable rise in activity in the late summer and early fall, suggesting these populations may migrate to and from Fire Island. Understanding the temporal and weather relationships to bat activity in this coastal environment may have important implications for tailoring more effective conservation and management strategies by identifying optimal timing for surveys, tracking bats during peak migratory windows, and providing insights that minimizes impacts to extant bats from activities such as wind-energy development or land management, i.e., forestry.

New York↗