Inter-Research > ESR > v24 > n2 > p149-157  
ESR
Endangered Species Research

via Mailchimp

ESR 24:149-157 (2014)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00594

Space use and resource selection by foraging Indiana bats at the northern edge of their distribution

David S. Jachowski1,*, Joshua B. Johnson2, Christopher A. Dobony3, John W. Edwards4, W. Mark Ford5

1Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, 106 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
2Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110, USA
3Fort Drum Military Installation, Natural Resources Branch, 85 First Street West, IMNE-DRM-PWE, Fort Drum, New York 13602, USA
4Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Box 6125, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA
5U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, 106 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Despite 4 decades of conservation concern, managing endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) populations remains a difficult wildlife resource issue facing natural resource managers in the eastern United States. After small signs of population recovery, the recent emergence of white-nose syndrome has led to concerns of local and/or regional extirpation of the species. Where Indiana bats persist, retaining high-quality foraging areas will be critical to meet physiological needs and ensure successful recruitment and overwinter survival. However, insight into foraging behavior has been lacking in the Northeast of the USA. We radio-tracked 12 Indiana bats over 2 summers at Fort Drum, New York, to evaluate factors influencing Indiana bat resource selection during night-time foraging. We found that foraging space use decreased 2% for every 100 m increase in distance to water and 6% for every 100 m away from the forest edge. This suggests high use of riparian areas in close proximity to forest and is somewhat consistent with the species’ foraging ecology in the Midwest and upper South. Given the importance of providing access to high-quality foraging areas during the summer maternity season, Indiana bat conservation at the northern extent of the species’ range will be linked to retention of forested habitat in close proximity to riparian zones. 


KEY WORDS: Foraging · Home range · Indiana bat · Myotis · New York · Resource utilization function


Full text in pdf format
Cite this article as: Jachowski DS, Johnson JB, Dobony CA, Edwards JW, Ford WM (2014) Space use and resource selection by foraging Indiana bats at the northern edge of their distribution. Endang Species Res 24:149-157. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00594

Export citation
Share:    Facebook - - linkedIn

 Previous article Next article