In the eastern US, research is needed on the establishment and evaluation of conservation measures for forest-dwelling bats, in general, and for the newly listed Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-Eared Bat), in particular. Our objectives were to evaluate the overall use of 3 artificial roosting structures--rocket box, nursery box, and artificial bark--by bats and to relate this use to local landscape characteristics in north-central West Virginia. We monitored 306 structures during summer 2016 and detected use (i.e., presence of guano, visual identification, capture of bats) at 132 (43%) roosts, of which 55 (42%) were confirmed, through capture or visual identification, to contain Northern Long-eared Bats. Nursery boxes were used more than expected based on availability (60%), but rocket boxes accounted for 40 (73%) of the roosts confirmed to be occupied by Northern Long-eared Bats, with 70% being used by maternity colonies of this species. We utilized binomial generalized linear models and an information theoretic approach to examine use of artificial roosts by maternity colonies of Northern Long-eared Bats. Our best-supported model differentiating structures occupied by maternity colonies from those that housed individual bats showed relationships to elevation, slope, area solar radiation, and distance to streams and large (>200 ha) forests. Our study provides initial guidance for land and wildlife managers on implementing an effective conservation and management technique for bats within this region.

Coal mining is an anthropogenic stressor that has impacted terrestrial and semi-aquatic wildlife in the Appalachian Plateau since European settlement. Creation of grassland and early-successional habitats resulting from mining in a forested landscape has resulted in novel, non-analog habitat conditions. Depending on the taxa, the extent of mining on the landscape, and reclamation practices, effects have ranged across a gradient of negative to positive. Forest-obligate species such as woodland salamanders and forest-interior birds or those that depend on aquatic systems in their life cycle have been most impacted. Others, such as grassland and early-successional bird species have responded favorably. Some bat species, as an unintended consequence, use legacy deep mines as winter hibernacula in a region with limited karst geology. Recolonization of impacted wildlife often depends on life strategies and species' vagility, but also on altered or arrested successional processes on the post-surface mine landscape. Many wildlife species will benefit from Forest Reclamation Approach practices going forward. In the future, managers will be faced with decisions about reforestation versus maintaining open habitats depending on the conservation need of species. Lastly, the post-mined landscape currently is the focal point for a regional effort to restore elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Appalachians.

The potential introduction of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, into North American bat populations is of interest to wildlife managers due to recent disease-mediated declines of several species. Populations of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) have collapsed due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the introduction and spread of the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Throughout much of the United States and southern Canada, large colonies of the species routinely established diurnal roosts in anthropogenic structures, thereby creating the potential for direct human contact and cross-species disease transmission. Given recent declines and the potential for further disease impacts, we collected oral swabs from eight little brown bat maternity colonies to assess the presence and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR analysis. Little brown bat colonies in Maryland (n = 1), New Hampshire (n = 1), New Jersey (n = 2), New York (n = 1), Rhode Island (n = 2), and Virginia (n = 1) were taken during May-August, 2022. From 235 assayed individuals, no bat tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Our results indicate that little brown bats may not contract SARS-CoV-2 or that the virus persists at undetectable levels in populations of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast during summer months. Nonetheless, continued monitoring and future work addressing other seasons may still be warranted to conclusively determine infection status.

Little information exists with regard to suitable summer habitat of Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) in West Virginia. Our research objectives were to use ultrasonic acoustic equipment and automated identification software to collect presence data for Indiana Bats and to examine habitat characteristics and availability across the local landscape. We used a maximum entropy (MAXENT) approach to determine if the distribution of various ecological factors such as landuse/landcover, forest fragmentation, aspect, area solar radiation, slope, proximity to permanent water, and elevation influenced foraging-habitat suitability of Indiana Bats. We sampled across the 1160-ha Camp Dawson Collective Training Area in Preston County, WV, to determine Indiana Bat presence. We employed the collected presence data to examine habitat suitability within a 16,151-ha study area encompassing the training facility. Based on MAXENT results, we characterized highly suitable Indiana Bat habitat as including large tracts of contiguous forest cover (>200 ha) associated with low to modest slopes (<20°), road corridors, and areas of high solar radiation (>5.5 x 10 5 WH/m 2 ). High (81-100%) and medium-high (61-80%) suitability classes were uncommon across the landscape (0.6% and 2.7%, respectively), with the broad medium-to-high suitability classes (41-100%) collectively comprising only 11.4% of the study area. Elevation (m) and aspect contributed little to the model and displayed low permutation importance that did not vary notably from the corresponding percent contribution. These variables, along with close proximity to permanent water (≤200 m away), are likely not limiting ecological factors. The results of this study supplement current knowledge of summer habitat of the Indiana Bat and provide land and wildlife managers localized guidance on conservation priorities within the region.

Habitat Selection of Male Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in West Virginia Jesse L. De La Cruz Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) have been the focus of widespread research throughout their range, but research on male wild turkey home range size and habitat resource selection is limited in West Virginia. To address this lack of knowledge, I proposed the quantification of home range within a region (second-order) and core home range within a periphery (third-order) resource selection. Home ranges estimates and regional vector sampling grids were modeled against anthropomorphic land use and landscape cover features, land fragmentation, slope, and aspect raster data within the Geospatial Modeling Environment (GME) to derive proportional resource use and availability data. These data were analyzed by compositional analysis (CA) for 2 study areas in West Virginia. I estimated statewide and District I Study Area (DISA), located in the counties of Harrison, Marion, and Taylor, 50% and 95% adult and juvenile UD home range sizes both annually and seasonally. Additionally, I analyzed statewide and DISA second-and third-order resource selection for adults and juveniles both annually and seasonally. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources personnel monitored 55 radio-equipped male wild turkeys from September 2004 through August 2007 in West Virginia. I found that statewide adult (= 1,409.9 ha, SE = 180.3) and juvenile (= 1,394.3 ha, SE = 146.6) annual statewide 95% UD home ranges were similar (P = 0.78). I also found that statewide adult (= 310.3 ha, SE = 38.7) and juvenile (= 320.6 ha, SE = 190.3) annual 50% UD home ranges were also similar (P = 0.56). My analysis indicated that adult 50% UD home ranges were similar across seasons (