Distribution and activity of bats at local and landscape scales within a rural–urban gradient |
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Authors: | Joshua B Johnson J Edward Gates W Mark Ford |
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Institution: | (1) University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory, 301 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 21532, USA;(2) U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, P.O. Box 404, Parsons, WV 26287, USA;(3) Present address: Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA |
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Abstract: | We examined the relationship between bat species activity and composition and the extent of forest cover and urbanization
in and adjacent to 11 U.S. National Park Service, National Capital Region Parks in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Washington, D.C., from 2003–2004, using mist nets, harp traps, acoustical detectors, and visual observations in a variety
of habitats. Our efforts included 363 trap nights across 74 sites along with acoustical sampling at 362 sites. We captured
383 bats and identified 6,380 echolocation passes of 6 species. Both overall and species-specific activities were affected
more by forest fragmentation within parks than by urbanization adjacent to parks. With an ability to exploit anthropogenic
structures for day-roosts, big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were the most ubiquitous and probably the most abundant species in NCR Parks, particularly in forested, urban parks. Northern
myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and to a lesser extent, little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) were more prevalent in forested, rural parks of the Ridge and Valley and Blue Ridge than in eastern, less forested urban
parks of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces. Retention of larger, residual forest tracts and day-roosting
habitat (i.e., trees and snags) would be beneficial to most species, as urban expansion continues throughout the region. |
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Keywords: | Bats Forest fragmentation Landscape National capital region Urbanization |
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