Use of Buildings by Indiana Bats (Myotis sodalis) and Other Bats in South-central Iowa

Benedict, Russell A.; Benedict, Sarah K.; Howell, Daryl

doi:10.1674/0003-0031-178.1.29

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Bridges provide shelter and protection to bats and serve as different roosting sites; findings on bats' use of bridges as roosting habitat have been presented in the literature (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bridges provide shelter and protection to bats and serve as different roosting sites; findings on bats’ use of bridges as roosting habitat have been presented in the literature ( 3 – 16 ). The studies vary in terms of coverage (national, statewide, or structure-specific) and study focus (bridge characteristics, monitoring techniques, bat types).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Most Likely Bridges as Roosting Habitat for Bats: Study for Iowa

Bektaş

Hans

Phares

et al. 2018

Transportation Research Record

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Bats play an important role in the natural balance of many ecosystems. There has been a growing concern about the bat population in the United States, mainly because of white-nose syndrome (WNS). The primary objective of this work was to better understand what types of bridges are the most likely to be used by bats as roosting locations. In one of the most comprehensive studies in the United States to date, 517 structures in the state of Iowa were inspected for evidence of bat roosting. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify structure, land cover distribution, and predicted bat species distribution characteristics that increase the probability of bat roosting. The final model indicated that probability of bat roosting on bridges increases under the following conditions: structures are prestressed concrete continuous, prestressed concrete or steel continuous; increased superstructure height above ground; increased superstructure depth; increased wetland coverage within a 0.1-mile radius of the structure; and increased number of potential bat species present at the location. The findings show that bridge characteristics, combined with land cover and bat species distribution data, are significant for higher probabilities of bat roosting. This information can be useful to transportation agencies as they plan bridge maintenance and renewal and can also help conservation efforts targeted toward bats. It is thought that the integration of objective, geospatial land cover data with potential bat presence data, and estimation of quantitative and relative influence of variables on probability of bat roosting are unique to this study.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Most Likely Bridges as Roosting Habitat for Bats: Study for Iowa

Bektaş

Hans

Phares

et al. 2018

Transportation Research Record

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“…Night roosts are important habitats for bats to rest, feed/digest, and socialize [78]. A wide range of structures can serve as night roosts for bats with more flexibility than in day roost selection [79,80]. Diverse structures such as trees and administrative buildings on the preserve and in the urban-agricultural interface provide numerous night roosting opportunities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Value to Bats: Assessing Multiple Functional Habitats in a Nature Preserve at the Urban-Agricultural Interface via Temporal Ecology

Li,

White

2024

Sustainability

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In grassland ecosystems, agriculture and urbanization are two main anthropogenic disturbances to native fauna. Nature preserves at the urban-agricultural interface may include diverse vegetation habitats, providing opportunities for native fauna. Limited research has examined the conservation value of such preserves to bats. We examined bat activity patterns at multiple temporal scales at Glacier Creek Preserve in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, between 2018 and 2020 via acoustic monitoring to identify what functional habitats it might provide to bats. We placed bat detectors along the forest edge and in the open, restored native prairies and open agricultural fields. A total of nine species were recorded at the preserve, including the endangered Myotis septentrionalis. Foraging activities were recorded for six species. The edge habitat had higher overall acoustic activities for three species (Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus borealis, and Lasiurus cinereus) and a higher proportion of foraging activities for two species (Lasiurus borealis and Lasiurus cinereus) than the open habitat. Lasiurus cinereus displayed activity peaks early at night, whereas Lasiurus borealis had activity peaks late. Results suggest that a medium-sized nature preserve at the urban-agricultural interface can provide roosts, commuting corridors, and foraging grounds for different bats. The conservation value of such nature preserves should not be overlooked.

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“…Eastern red bats and hoary bats are foliage-roosting species that roost in tree canopies, hanging from leaves, twigs, and branches (Mager and Nelson, 2001;Willis and Brigham, 2005). While big brown bats use tree cavities and crevices as roosts (Willis and Brigham, 2004), this species often roosts in buildings, including barns (Benedict et al, 2017). Small-bodied bats, consisting mainly of Myotis species, generally remain in or close to forested habitat (Beilke et al, 2021;Henderson and Broders, 2008).…”

Section: Illinois Bat Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Far from home: bat activity and diversity in row crop agriculture decreases with distance to potential roost habitat

Hunninck

Coleman

Boman

et al. 2022

Preprint

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As demand for food increases, agricultural production is poised to increase dramatically. Pesticides are commonly used to maintain high crop yield, though they have several drawbacks, including reduced efficacy over time and harmful effects to human and ecosystem health. Bats are highly effective predators of crop pests and have great potential to reduce crop damage resulting from insects. However, few studies have investigated how pest control by bats might change over large expanses of continuous row crop agriculture, which is common in the Midwest. Agricultural landscapes offer few roosting opportunities and could be difficult for bats to traverse, which might affect the degree of ecosystem services provided by bats. We hypothesized that with increasing distance into uninterrupted row crop agriculture 1) bat activity would decrease and 2) bat species richness would decrease, but that these effects would be buffered when insect pest abundance is high. We deployed 50 acoustic bat detectors over 10 transects in east-central Illinois from July to September 2021. In each transect, we placed detectors on crop field edges at increasing distance from a large riparian corridor assumed to be frequented by bats. Bat activity was high across the landscape but declined by 56% from the forest edge to 4000m into row crop agriculture, while bat diversity decreased by 34%. Pest abundance seemed to decrease overall bat activity but had no effect on bat diversity. These results indicate that bats, although able to have a large effect on crop pest reduction, might not be as efficient in suppressing crop pests in vast uninterrupted agricultural landscapes which offer scant roost availability. Our work will inform recommendations to landowners and private lands managers on ways to increase bat access to roosts and forest cover near agricultural areas, thereby enhancing the potential for bats to provide pest control services.

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Use of Buildings by Indiana Bats (Myotis sodalis) and Other Bats in South-central Iowa

Cited by 9 publications

References 21 publications

Most Likely Bridges as Roosting Habitat for Bats: Study for Iowa

Most Likely Bridges as Roosting Habitat for Bats: Study for Iowa

Conservation Value to Bats: Assessing Multiple Functional Habitats in a Nature Preserve at the Urban-Agricultural Interface via Temporal Ecology

Far from home: bat activity and diversity in row crop agriculture decreases with distance to potential roost habitat

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