Effects of hierarchical roost removal on northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies.

ABSTRACT: Forest roosting bats use a variety of ephemeral roosts such as snags and declining live trees. Although conservation of summer maternity habitat is considered critical for forest-roosting bats, bat response to roost loss still is poorly understood. To address this, we monitored 3 northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies on Fort Knox Military Reservation, Kentucky, USA, before and after targeted roost removal during the dormant season when bats were hibernating in caves. We used 2 treatments: removal of a single highly used (primary) roost and removal of 24% of less used (secondary) roosts, and an un-manipulated control. Neither treatment altered the number of roosts used by individual bats, but secondary roost removal doubled the distances moved between sequentia

SUBMITTER: Silvis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4303276 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature