Rapid increases in bat activity and diversity after wetland construction in an urban ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Wetland construction can mitigate the biodiversity and water quality losses associated with reduced natural wetland coverage. While beneficial effects of wetland construction for bats have been observed in natural and rural settings, the effects of wetland construction on bats in an urban ecosystem are less understood. We used passive acoustic monitoring to measure bat activity levels and diversity at two constructed wetlands and two control sites on the University of North Carolina Greensboro campus, in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. We monitored all 4 sites before and after wetland construction. Pre-wetland construction, there were few differences in bat activity and community structure at our sites. After wetland construction, we observed greater activity, attributable to all species

SUBMITTER: Parker KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6764773 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature