The relative influence of landscape features on maternity roost and hibernaculum selection in temperate bats

Abstract

Many animal life-history stages center around residences (nests, roosts, etc.) where the availability of resources within an optimal range can affect fitness. Understanding factors influencing residence selection is fundamental for efficient management or recovery plans. Many bat species use permanent roosts during different periods of the year, and while most conservation plans aim to protect these roosts, the availability of suitable habitat near the roosts (e.g., foraging habitat) is also critical to consider. We evaluated the importance of landscape features at multiple scales surrounding seasonal bat roosts in two regions (north and south) of Québec (Canada), using data from participatory science and government databases. In the human-altered environment of south Québec, bats selected maternity roosts with high anthropogenic cover and water edge density at the 150 m and 2 km scales, respectively. Conversely, roost selection in north Québec, a forested area, could not be explained by any landscape features. In winter, fewer bats used hibernacula located in heavily human-modified landscapes—opposite to the trend observed with maternity roost selection. Our study demonstrates how considering landscape features at the appropriate temporal and spatial scales can promote more efficient conservation for bats.