Affiliation:
1. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
2. Wildlife Conservation Section Georgia Department of Natural Resources Highway 278 SE Social Circle GA 30025 USA
3. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Georgia Ecological Services 355 East Hancock Avenue Room 320 Athens GA 30601 USA
4. Wildlife Conservation Section Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 64 N. Union Street, Suite 468 Montgomery AL 36130 USA
Abstract
AbstractLong‐term monitoring programs are necessary to assess populations for conservation planning and management decisions. Hibernating bats in North America have declined because of numerous natural and human‐induced disturbances. White‐nose syndrome (WNS) has become the most serious threat to North American cave‐dwelling bats, leading to significant population declines in several species. We examined trends in hibernating bat populations at 11 hibernacula in northern Georgia and Alabama, USA, from 2013–2022, beginning when WNS was first detected in the region. Although we observed interannual variation in numbers of the federally endangered gray bat (Myotis grisescens), mean counts remained stable over time. In contrast, the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and the federally endangered northern long‐eared bat (M. septentrionalis) declined by >90% in the first 5 years after WNS detection in the region. Although no northern long‐eared bats have been reported since 2019, tricolored bat counts stabilized following initial declines. Understanding changes in bat populations as WNS continues to spread, and determining the extent of population declines, is necessary for making appropriate management decisions. Our findings elucidate the status of cave‐dwelling bat species along the periphery of the white‐nose syndrome endemic region and highlight the importance of monitoring bat communities on a regional scale to develop effective conservation strategies.
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics,Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics