By Pat Zollner

The onset of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has caused the death of millions of bats and local extirpation of some bat species are expected as a result. These devastating losses have brought bat conservation to the forefront and elucidated the paucity of our knowledge regarding many once common bat species. In response, research addressing the resource needs of these bats during the summer when gestation, parturition, and the rearing and development of offspring all occurs remains a crucial component of preserving these species.

Roosts are critical to bats since they provide protection from adverse weather and potential predators. These roosts are also where female bats give birth to young and serve as a refuge for juvenile bats before they become volant. Therefore, the suitability of habitat for bats is strongly influenced by the presence and quality of roost sites. The majority of bat species known to be impacted by WNS belong to the genus Myotis. In Indiana, bats of this genus include the once abundant Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis).

Northern long-eared bats, have long been a common species throughout much of its range including Indiana. Following the emergence of WNS, many researchers reported reductions in Northern long-eared bat populations exceeding 90%. The combination of persistent population declines and the continuing spread of WNS has led to listing the Northern long-eared bat as a federally threatened species and necessitated increased knowledge of resource needs of this species to facilitate management for this species.

A team from Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is conducting research to develop insights into the resource needs of Northern long eared bats in fragmented landscapes of Northern Indiana. The insights from this research will improve management and conservation of this federally threatened species. This research involves using a variety of techniques including, acoustic monitoring, mist netting, radio tracking and emergence counts to gather data.

During the July 4th weekend, four students set up nets and observation stations in and around the Martell Forest near the Purdue campus as part of this research project. The students include PhD. student Laura D’Acunto, MS student Michael Egan, Nerisa Taua, a junior at Chaminade University in Hawaii, and Xavier Lovato, a sophomore at New Mexico State University. Taua and Lovato are participants in Purdue's Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP).

A Purdue faculty member since 2006, Zollner is an associate professor of quantitative ecology in the College of Agriculture.

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