Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys

Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken; Bybee, Bryan F.

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-64172-8

Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys

Journal Article · Wed Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64172-8· OSTI ID:2469850

^[1]; Doering, Bill ^[2]; Aho, Ken ^[3]; Bybee, Bryan F. ^[4]

Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg, ID (United States)
POWER Engineers, Inc., Meridian, ID (United States)
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Estimating population changes of bats is important for their conservation. Population estimates of hibernating bats are often calculated by researchers entering hibernacula to count bats; however, the disturbance caused by these surveys can cause bats to arouse unnaturally, fly, and lose body mass. We conducted 17 hibernacula surveys in 9 caves from 2013 to 2018 and used acoustic detectors to document cave-exiting bats the night following our surveys. We predicted that cave-exiting flights (i.e., bats flying out and then back into caves) of Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) would be higher the night following hibernacula surveys than on nights following no surveys. Those two species, however, did not fly out of caves more than predicted the night following 82% of surveys. Nonetheless, the activity of bats flying out of caves following surveys was related to a disturbance factor (i.e., number of researchers × total time in a cave). We produced a parsimonious model for predicting the probability of Townsend’s big-eared bats flying out of caves as a function of disturbance factor and ambient temperature. That model can be used to help biologists plan for the number of researchers, and the length of time those individuals are in a cave to minimize disturbing bats.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, OH (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: NE0008477

OSTI ID:: 2469850

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 14; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Acoustic sampling
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Ecological modelling
Hibernacula
Hibernacula surveys
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Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys

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