Bats in Forests: Conservation and Management

350 Pages·2007·6.437 MB·English

by  Lacki, Michael J(Editor)

BATS
IN FORESTS
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BATS IN FORESTS
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
Edited by Michael J. Lacki, John P. Hayes, and Allen Kurta
Foreword by Merlin D. Tuttle
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS
BALTIMORE
This book was brought to publication
with the generous assistance ofthe
National Congress ofAmerican Indians,
Bat Conservation International,
and the Bat Diversity Network.
© 2007 The Johns Hopkins University Press
All rights reserved.Published 2007
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
on acid-free paper
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore,Maryland 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bats in forests :conservation and management /
edited by Michael J.Lacki,John P.Hayes,
Allen Kurta.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8018-8499-3 (hardcover :alk.paper)
1.Bats—Ecology—North America. 2.Bats—
Effect offorest management on—
North America. 3.Bats—Conservation—
North America. I.Lacki,Michael J.,1956–
II.Hayes,John P.(John Parker)
III.Kurta,Allen,1952–
QL737.C5B373 2007
639.97(cid:1)94—dc22 2006013034
A catalog record for this book is available
from the British Library.
Photographs at chapter openers are by
Merlin D.Tuttle,Bat Conservation International
To Sonia,Ashley,
and Marty–
for always being there
To Joan,Heather,
and Forest
To my‘Little Red Wife,’
for being
my best friend
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CONTENTS
Foreword,by Merlin D.Tuttle ix
Preface xi
Contributors xv
1 BATS IN FORESTS: WHAT WE KNOW
AND WHAT WE NEED TO LEARN
R.Mark Brigham 1
2 ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF BATS
ROOSTING IN TREE CAVITIES AND UNDER BARK
Robert M.R.Barclay and Allen Kurta 17
3 BEHAVIOR AND DAY-ROOSTING ECOLOGY
OF NORTH AMERICAN FOLIAGE-ROOSTING BATS
Timothy C.Carter and Jennifer M.Menzel 61
4 FORAGING ECOLOGY OF BATS IN FORESTS
Michael J.Lacki,Sybill K.Amelon,and Michael D.Baker 83
5 IMPORTANCE OF NIGHT ROOSTS TO THE ECOLOGY OF BATS
Patricia C.Ormsbee,James D.Kiser,and Stuart I.Perlmeter 129
6 MIGRATION AND USE OF AUTUMN, WINTER,
AND SPRING ROOSTS BY TREE BATS
Paul M.Cryan and Jacques P.Veilleux 153
7 SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES AND MANAGEMENT
OF HABITAT FOR BATS
James M.Guldin,William H.Emmingham,S.Andrew Carter,
and David A.Saugey 177
8 THE INFLUENCES OF FOREST MANAGEMENT
ON BATS IN NORTH AMERICA
John P.Hayes and Susan C.Loeb 207
9 ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE-LEVEL
MANAGEMENT OF BATS
Joseph E.Duchamp,Edward B.Arnett,Michael A.Larson,
and Robert K.Swihart 237
10 ASSESSING POPULATION STATUS OF BATS IN FORESTS:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Theodore J.Weller 263
11 PLANNING FOR BATS ON FOREST INDUSTRY LANDS IN
NORTH AMERICA
T.Bently Wigley,Darren A.Miller,and Greg K.Yarrow 293
Author Index 319
Species Index 325
Subject Index 327
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FOREWORD
Today,many bat populations are only small remnants of former num-
bers.Prior to the arrival ofEuropean settlers in the United States,for ex-
ample,millions ofnow endangered Indiana and gray myotis lived in sin-
gle caves. Even species that are still considered common have, in fact,
declined markedly.For example,in the 1870s great migratory flocks of
eastern red bats were reported to pass over for days at a time during fall
migration,a sight now vanished from American skies.
Despite their decline and an increase in conservation concern, bats
still rank among the world’s most neglected and misunderstood mam-
mals.Few members ofthe public understand that the world’s more than
1,100 species play essential ecological roles in all but the most extreme
desert and polar regions. Fewer still know that most of America’s 51
species rely on forests to varying degrees,either for food or shelter.In
turn,forests nearly everywhere benefit from bats,probably much more
than is realized.The most abundant bats inhabiting forests consume vast
quantities of insects nightly,including costly “pests”such as moths and
beetles.In short,the available evidence suggests that bats are essential to
ecological balance and forest health,fulfilling the same roles by night as
birds do by day.
A variety offactors related to forest conditions have contributed to bat
decline, including disturbance of hibernation and nursery caves in
forests,loss of snags and major cavities in ancient trees,careless use of
pesticides in forest settings,and early neglect offorest management.For-
est bats often require loose,exfoliating bark and other cavities in extra
tall trees that are dying or newly dead,and these are now scarce in many
places.Bats also require alternative roosts in close proximity,in part be-
cause exfoliating bark and old snags are ephemeral in nature,and in part
because they must find varied temperatures and avoid predators.
Management practices that ensure age diversity oftrees,retain snags
and damaged trees,and aid plant diversity can greatly benefit bat popu-
lations.When forests become monocultures, bats and other insectivo-
rous animals encounter unfavorable conditions such as prey cycles that
produce fewer species of insects and longer gaps between hatch cycles.
The eventual explosions ofthese insects then results in their designation
as major forest pests.Both forests and bats are more secure when struc-
tural,floral,and faunal diversity are maintained.For these reasons,the