Evaluating the Effects of Anthropogenic Land Use and Habitat Fragmentation on Bat Diversity and Activity in the Oak Openings Region PDF Download
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Author: Kelly Russo-Petrick Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 129
Book Description
Bats are critically important for their control of insects but are experiencing population declines. The biggest reason for these declines is anthropogenic land use. Despite negative impacts, anthropogenic land use has variable impact on bats, with tolerance for more developed areas being species dependent and varying depending on the spatial or temporal scale. Previous studies on land use and bats lack spatial variability and are often single year. My goal was to determine how habitat factors related to human land use impact bat activity and species richness at multiple spatial scales over a period of several years. This research was conducted in the Oak Openings Region, which is a highly developed mixed-use region with high biodiversity that serves as important bat habitat. Specific objectives included determining (1) changes in bat activity and species richness over time, (2) differences in bat activity and species richness between protected and non-protected areas, (3) how factors related to human land use impact bat activity and species richness, and (4) to map current bat habitat suitability and see how it may change in the future. Calls increased each subsequent year during the 2019-2021 period, showing a trend of consistently increasing bat activity. However, during 2011-2019 bat activity significantly decreased. Protected areas had higher species richness and activity than unprotected areas. Higher activity and species richness were found in areas with greater percent upland prairie, sand barrens, and savanna and less floodplain and conifer forest and wet prairie. Activity was higher with less structural clutter at 3-6.5 m, lower understory height, taller canopy height, more canopy cover, and more structural clutter 0-3 m. Number of habitats was positively associated with bat species richness and activity along transects, but negatively associated with activity at stationary points. An opposite trend was observed for cropland. Activity and species richness along transects was higher when at least one side of the road had natural habitat. Variables having high impact on suitability included percent savanna and upland forest, distance to agriculture, May NDVI, total annual precipitation, mean diurnal range, and mean annual air temperature. Total percent suitable habitat did not change much between current models and 2050 predicted climate change models, although suitable habitat patches changed in location and level of suitability. These results demonstrate that measuring bat activity and species richness using a variety of spatial and temporal scales allows detection of changes in populations over time and identification of the habitat and environmental variables that are most important to bat populations.
Author: Kelly Russo-Petrick Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 129
Book Description
Bats are critically important for their control of insects but are experiencing population declines. The biggest reason for these declines is anthropogenic land use. Despite negative impacts, anthropogenic land use has variable impact on bats, with tolerance for more developed areas being species dependent and varying depending on the spatial or temporal scale. Previous studies on land use and bats lack spatial variability and are often single year. My goal was to determine how habitat factors related to human land use impact bat activity and species richness at multiple spatial scales over a period of several years. This research was conducted in the Oak Openings Region, which is a highly developed mixed-use region with high biodiversity that serves as important bat habitat. Specific objectives included determining (1) changes in bat activity and species richness over time, (2) differences in bat activity and species richness between protected and non-protected areas, (3) how factors related to human land use impact bat activity and species richness, and (4) to map current bat habitat suitability and see how it may change in the future. Calls increased each subsequent year during the 2019-2021 period, showing a trend of consistently increasing bat activity. However, during 2011-2019 bat activity significantly decreased. Protected areas had higher species richness and activity than unprotected areas. Higher activity and species richness were found in areas with greater percent upland prairie, sand barrens, and savanna and less floodplain and conifer forest and wet prairie. Activity was higher with less structural clutter at 3-6.5 m, lower understory height, taller canopy height, more canopy cover, and more structural clutter 0-3 m. Number of habitats was positively associated with bat species richness and activity along transects, but negatively associated with activity at stationary points. An opposite trend was observed for cropland. Activity and species richness along transects was higher when at least one side of the road had natural habitat. Variables having high impact on suitability included percent savanna and upland forest, distance to agriculture, May NDVI, total annual precipitation, mean diurnal range, and mean annual air temperature. Total percent suitable habitat did not change much between current models and 2050 predicted climate change models, although suitable habitat patches changed in location and level of suitability. These results demonstrate that measuring bat activity and species richness using a variety of spatial and temporal scales allows detection of changes in populations over time and identification of the habitat and environmental variables that are most important to bat populations.
Author: Tyler Norman Turner Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 117
Book Description
Bats play critical roles in the numerous ecosystems they inhabit as nutrient cyclers, pollinators, and major sources of pest control. In agricultural landscapes, such as those in the Oak Openings, these services can be extremely valuable. Unfortunately, bats face population declines due to threats such as wind farms along migration routes, the lethal fungal disease white-nose syndrome, and habitat degradation and loss due to anthropogenic pressures. The objective of this study was to examine how native bats are using both natural and human dominated landscapes within this region while identifying features within these landscapes that promote bat activity and diversity. To do so I developed a three-part study to observe spatial and temporal trends. First, driving transects were conducted from May through September to analyze activity and diversity in three different landscape types (natural, mosaic, and agricultural landscapes). Second, paired stationary sites were set up overnight to compare core sites within Oak Openings Preserve to edge sites to assess how bats responded to areas of natural landscapes directly facing human pressure. Finally, with the help of citizen science volunteers, walking surveys were conducted through three different parks, as part of an ongoing project of the Root Lab at BGSU, to look at temporal trends in bat populations. Over the course of five months and more than 50 nights, I recorded and identified over 2,200 bat calls. The majority of these calls (95%) were dominated by just three bat species (big brown, silver-haired, and eastern red). I found a significant decrease in activity in agricultural landscapes (p=0.04, Pearson's Test), compared to mosaic and natural landscapes. I also found certain landscape features, such as canopy cover and distance to riparian systems, were correlated with bat activity. Within the Oak Openings Park, I found that core natural sites had significantly more activity than edge or savanna sites. There was no difference between interior edges and exterior edges, suggesting human impact has little to do with how bats are using these edges. However, vegetation density and canopy cover were predictors of increased relative foraging activity, increasing our understanding of how the bats are using their environment. This finding suggests that both natural and human dominated landscapes can be managed to promote bat activity and diversity. This is important as there was evidence of long term population declines and declines in total number of observed species in the third study. By properly managing both natural and human dominated landscapes, we can help mitigate both current and future threats that bats may face.
Author: Christian Edward Nordal Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 122
Book Description
The Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio of Northwest Ohio is an incredibly biodiverse area that is home to many rare and endangered plant and animal species. Furthering our knowledge and understanding on the resident bat species within the region is critical as populations of many species have declined from White-nose Syndrome, habitat loss and fragmentation, and wind energy barotrauma. To further bat-specific research in the region, my thesis research focused on: 1) identifying the relationships between bat activity and diversity and fragmentation features; 2) monitoring trends in activity and richness between forested and savanna sites over time; and 3) developing refined spatially explicit habitat models of bat occupancy using data collected from protected and unprotected habitat and comparing them to models created from strictly protected habitat. Ecological knowledge on bats and their response to features commonly associated with habitat fragmentation is lacking, so I acoustically surveyed thirty roads with Anabat SDII monitors within and outside of protected areas. I utilized logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between presence/absence and activity of each species with each feature (e.g. proportion of road with overstory) to select candidate variables for multivariate models. I then created candidate multivariate models for each species and selected final models based on parsimony, AIC values, and adjusted R square values. Bats had a differential response to features between species, and park managers must consider the management of roads on a species- specific viewpoint if they plan to focus conservation efforts on bats. For the second part of my research, I surveyed bat relative activity within forest and savanna sites and compared the data to previous monitoring efforts. Within the single year I monitored, savanna sites appeared to host a greater activity for many species and a greater species richness. Between years, savanna sites remained predominantly stable in species composition and activity, but forested sites had declines in activity among certain species and declines in species richness. Results demonstrate a need for further investigation of forest habitat and additional comparisons between savannas and other open habitat to determine their role for bats in the region. For the third part, I developed Maxent species distribution models for seven species of bats that occur in the region and compared them to existing models. I tested previously developed occupancy models' predictive power using new data. Once data were demonstrated to be comparable through model performance, I created new models from a combination of previous (prior to White-nose) and new data (post White-nose). I then tested previous and new models with an independent dataset and compared their performances and areas of predicted presence for each species. The addition of new data refined previous models and offered a species-specific view on the importance of prominent landscape characteristics for probability of presence. The results of this thesis research contribute to our knowledge of bats within the Oak Openings Region and provide tools for adaptive management in fragmented landscapes.
Author: Jennifer Windom Hollen Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 121
Book Description
Bat species face multiple threats. One such threat, white-nose syndrome (WNS) has drastically reduced many bat populations. Also, habitat loss and fragmentation often forces bats to concentrate in remnant natural areas, or utilize habitats that are not as suitable. Both of these threats, while threaten bats in a general sense, also affect species differentially. The Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio is a biodiversity hotspot with a landscape composed of remnant natural areas within a matrix of agriculture and urban areas. This area, which provides crucial summer foraging habitat, has experienced declines in bat activity, shifts in bat assemblages, and some in diversity, in recent years, especially since WNS introduction. To study bats in this diverse landscape, we sampled bats acoustically from May - August 2016. We sampled mobile transects along roads along with stationary sites within the Oak Openings Preserve within the region. We identified calls to species and ran analyses investigating total bat activity, species-specific activity and presence, and bat diversity compared to. We compared bats to environmental, vegetation, road, and landcover parameters. Our results show that certain parameters influence bats as a whole, while others only affect one or a few species. We found that savanna stationary sites had more species-specific activity and bat diversity than forested sites (Rank Sums, p
Author: Christian C. Voigt Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3319252208 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 601
Book Description
This book focuses on central themes related to the conservation of bats. It details their response to land-use change and management practices, intensified urbanization and roost disturbance and loss. Increasing interactions between humans and bats as a result of hunting, disease relationships, occupation of human dwellings, and conflict over fruit crops are explored in depth. Finally, contributors highlight the roles that taxonomy, conservation networks and conservation psychology have to play in conserving this imperilled but vital taxon. With over 1300 species, bats are the second largest order of mammals, yet as the Anthropocene dawns, bat populations around the world are in decline. Greater understanding of the anthropogenic drivers of this decline and exploration of possible mitigation measures are urgently needed if we are to retain global bat diversity in the coming decades. This book brings together teams of international experts to provide a global review of current understanding and recommend directions for future research and mitigation.
Author: Timothy A. Schetter Publisher: ISBN: Category : Biodiversity Languages : en Pages : 137
Book Description
Oak savannas of the Midwestern U.S. are among the most imperiled North American plant communities. The 478-km2 Oak Openings region of Northwestern Ohio is one of the few landscape-scale savanna systems remaining in the Midwest. Despite conversion of large portions of the Oak Openings for human land uses, the region still supports high levels of floristic diversity. However, regional patterns of Oak Openings plant diversity within the modern landscape are not well understood. My research objectives were 1) to determine the current extent and distribution of Oak Openings plant communities, 2) to quantify multiscale patterns of plant species richness within the context of the surrounding landscape, and 3) to build predictive species distribution models of rare plants to evaluate regional patterns in habitat suitability. First, using multi-seasonal Landsat images, I determined that
Author: Marne Avina Titchenell Publisher: ISBN: Category : Bats Languages : en Pages : 258
Book Description
Abstract: Forest management practices, such as harvesting, can greatly influence bat habitat relationships. Such practices can affect the microclimate and physical structure of the forest, foraging opportunities, and the availability of roost sites and prey. Research in eastern forests is needed to provide managers with the knowledge and skills to properly and effectively manage for bats and their habitat while still achieving forest management goals. One of these goals is the restoration of declining oak communities with regeneration methods, such as shelterwood harvests. This research examined bat activity responses to initial shelterwood harvests with different retention levels (50% and 70%) of the original basal area. Bats were acoustically monitored and captured by the use of mistnets in the summer of June 2006 through August 2006 in harvested and unharvested areas. Overall general activity differed (p = 0.004) among harvested and unharvested areas with the greatest amount of activity occurring within the harvested areas. There were no differences in overall bat activity between different retention levels. Red bats (Lasiurus borealis), big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) were detected most in the harvested areas, and had low activity in the unharvested areas. Red bats, big brown bats, and silver-haired bats were detected equally in the two retention levels. Eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus) and myotis (Myotis sp.) were detected equally among both retention levels and the unharvested areas. A method was developed to quantify the amount of volume of woody plant material vertically through the forest canopy. The results of this method were compared to overall and species bat activity. Overall bat activity decreased rapidly at volumes exceeding 148.4 meters per hectare (m3/ha) in the understory (0-3 meters (m) above ground). The probably of detecting a red bat decreased by 50% at volumes exceeding 1500 m3/ha in the understory to mid-canopy (3-6 m), while big brown and silver-haired bat activity was detected most when volumes at 3-6 m in height were less than 100 m3/ha. Activity rates of Myotis species and eastern pipistrelles were not sensitive to volume of obstruction at any level. Use of additional forest characteristics such as number of snags is recommended. This research suggests that areas harvested for the purposed of restoring oak communities can provide valuable foraging ground for multiple species of bats. Bats require a diversity of landscapes, and harvesting prescriptions should allocate area of high structural density in additions to the land being harvested. This research provides a framework for the management of bat populations in southern Ohio, allowing a unique opportunity for additional rigorous research in the future.
Author: Kelly Russo-Petrick
Author: Kelly Russo-Petrick
Author: Tyler Norman Turner
Author: Christian Edward Nordal
Author: Jennifer Windom Hollen
Author: Paulo Estefano Bobrowiec
Author: Christian C. Voigt
Author: Timothy A. Schetter
Author: Johnny De Jong
Author: Marne Avina Titchenell
Author: Idan Kahnonitch