Summer Bat Habitat Use and Forest Characteristics in Managed Northeastern Forests

• Published in: Journal of forestry Vol. 119; no. 3; pp. 305 - 318
• Main Authors: Gallagher, Megan E, Farrell, Shannon L, Germain, René H, Rojas, Vanessa G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Acoustic surveying; Animal behavior; Bats; Candidate species; Chiroptera; Clutter; Commuting; Endangered species; Foraging habitats; Forest management; Forests; Habitat utilization; Habitats; Morphology; Occupancy; Summer; Threatened species; West Virginia; New York; Adirondack Mountains; Indiana; United States > US; silviculture; occupancy modeling; bat conservation; northeastern US; timber harvesting; forest management
• ISSN: 0022-1201; 1938-3746
• DOI: 10.1093/jofore/fvaa059

Abstract There has been limited research investigating summer habitat use of bats in managed forests in the northeastern United States. Consequently, there is limited knowledge to inform forest managers seeking to maintain or enhance bat habitat, particularly for several federally threatened, endangered, or candidate species. In summer 2017–2018, we conducted repeated acoustic surveys to determine what forest characteristics are associated with bat habitat use in managed forests in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. We modeled detection corrected probability of occupancy for bats in three phonic groups: high, mid, and low frequency. Across all phonic groups, probability of occupancy increased with decreasing canopy cover. High-, mid-, and low-frequency bats were more likely to use recently harvested sites (<10 years since harvest). High-frequency bats also used mature stands. Midfrequency bats demonstrated a preference for further distances from forest roads, whereas low-frequency bats preferred areas with a higher percentage of clutter. Our results suggest that tending and regenerating even-aged forest management practices can provide habitat for foraging bats in the Adirondacks.