Scientists with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) coauthor new, more comprehensive method for estimating bat species distributions and trends over time
USGS FORT scientists with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) recently coauthored a publication introducing a novel integrated species distribution model for North American bats. This work was conducted in collaboration with researchers from USGS NOROCK, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Monitoring wildlife populations can be challenging for cryptic species with seasonal life cycles. In many cases, researchers and wildlife managers collect and analyze data from multiple field techniques to get a clearer picture of where species occur, in what numbers, and population trends over time. Combining data like this presents an opportunity to improve accuracy, precision, and scope of analyses, but can be challenging because of differences in population metrics and observational uncertainties associated with each data type.
The model presented in this study overcame these challenges of combining data from multiple NABat monitoring field methods, spatial scales, and seasons, and provided comprehensive estimates of species distributions and trends over time. This model was applied to tricolored bat from 2012-2022, and results demonstrated clear evidence of population declines linked to white-nose syndrome.
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North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat)
What is White-nose Syndrome? What is White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose syndrome is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in at least 40 states and eight Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...
What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome? What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome mostly affects hibernating bats. More than half of the 47 bat species living in the United States and Canada hibernate to survive the winter. Twelve bat species, including two endangered species and one threatened species, have been confirmed with white-nose syndrome in North America. The causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd), has been found on an additional six...
Why are bats important? Why are bats important?
By eating insects, bats save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars per year in pest control. Some studies have estimated that service to be worth over 3.7 billion dollars per year, and possibly as much as 53 billion dollars per year. This value does not, however, take into account the volume of insects eaten by bats in forest ecosystems and the degree to which that benefits industries like lumber...
Related
North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat)
What is White-nose Syndrome? What is White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose syndrome is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in at least 40 states and eight Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...
What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome? What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome mostly affects hibernating bats. More than half of the 47 bat species living in the United States and Canada hibernate to survive the winter. Twelve bat species, including two endangered species and one threatened species, have been confirmed with white-nose syndrome in North America. The causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd), has been found on an additional six...
Why are bats important? Why are bats important?
By eating insects, bats save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars per year in pest control. Some studies have estimated that service to be worth over 3.7 billion dollars per year, and possibly as much as 53 billion dollars per year. This value does not, however, take into account the volume of insects eaten by bats in forest ecosystems and the degree to which that benefits industries like lumber...