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Acoustic Bat Monitoring System: Land & Water

Acoustic Bat Monitoring System: Land & Water. David Redell & J. Paul White Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources Ecological Inventory & Monitoring. Bats in Wisconsin. Family: Vespertilionidae Myotis lucifugus Little brown bat Myotis septentrionalis Northern long-eared

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Acoustic Bat Monitoring System: Land & Water

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  1. Acoustic Bat Monitoring System: Land & Water David Redell & J. Paul White Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources Ecological Inventory & Monitoring

  2. Bats in Wisconsin • Family: Vespertilionidae • Myotis lucifugus Little brown bat • Myotis septentrionalis Northern long-eared • Perimyotis subflavus Eastern pipistrelle • Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bat • Myotis sodalis Indiana bat • Lasiurus borealis Eastern Red bat • Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat • Lasionycteris noctivagans Silver-haired bat

  3. Cave dwelling bats-hibernatorsOver-winter in Wisconsin

  4. Foliage-roosting and tree cavity dwelling bats-migrate south rather than stay to enjoy Wisconsin’s winter

  5. Bats vulnerable to extinction, in part because they are the slowest reproducing mammals on earth for their size More than 50% of American bat species are in decline or already listed as endangered. Losses are occurring worldwide. Life-history

  6. Why Bats? • Loss of bats increases demand for chemical pesticides and can harm human economies • Primary predators of night flying insects • Ecosystem services • Diet includes agricultural and forest pests • Reduce reliance on chemical pesticides • Long-lived species with low reproductive capacity • Cautionary principle—as declining species are often slow and difficult to recover • Issues arise and we have little available information making it difficult to respond to concerns • Need to get in front with a comprehensive approach to describing bat activity, seasonal patterns, trends and distributions for the State of Wisconsin.

  7. Past Methods & Improvements • Shotgun collection • Detector in back of station wagon w/ generator • 1960’s Mist-nets • 1970’s & 1980’s: acoustic studies limited to researchers with large budgets and grant support -- used oscilloscopes & high-speed tape • Late 80’s and 90’s: handheld detectors becoming more available to the field biologist • 2000’s: improvements & cost reduction

  8. Bat Monitoring in the UK • Strengths • Species distribution & trends for land area 2x the size of Wisconsin • High Volunteer retention • Weaknesses • Rely on heterodyne detectors • Biases to deal with • Extensive training required

  9. Transect surveys Hibernacula surveys Waterway routes Summer roost site monitoring UK Citizen-based monitoring Depending on a volunteer’s location, training, experience and time availability

  10. UK Species Distribution Maps

  11. UK Species Trends

  12. Citizen-based Bat Monitoring in Wisconsin • Developed specifically for volunteer participation of citizens • Draw from and improve on the example of UK’s Bat Monitoring Program • Different detection system • Long-term Bat Monitoring Stations • Mobile detection system

  13. Overview and ExamplesFrom this past summer • Install 5 Long-term bat monitoring stations • Stationary units collecting bat pass data every night • Mobile units • Land-based surveys • Water-based surveys (Lakes & Rivers)

  14. Location of Long-term Bat Monitoring Stations in Wisconsin

  15. Long Term Bat Monitoring Station (LTBMS) Description • 3 meter tower • top mounted weather-resistant microphone enclosure and reflector plate (30º above horizon acceptance angle) with a pre-amp signal driver for the audio cable extension • 10W solar panel orientated south • NEMA weather-proof locked enclosure which houses: • 12V battery • charge controller (EMS Systems, Berkeley CA) • AnaBat detector and CF Storage ZCAIM (frequency division bat detection system)

  16. LTBMS Sites • Habitat context • near a water source • proximity to edge • Connectivity of features • Site access • accessible for on-site personnel to regularly maintain station • Sun Exposure • Unobstructed south facing view (present and future)

  17. Identifying the bat in the recording • Build a Reference Library of echolocation calls for each species • Capture the bat • Identify the bat • Release and Record

  18. Little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus

  19. Northern long-eared myotis Myotis septentrionalis

  20. Tragus

  21. Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis

  22. Eastern pipistrelle Perimyotis [=Pipistrellus] subflavus

  23. Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus

  24. Bat Monitoring Stations • Tie to weather data • Index activity • Phenology and species patterns • Nightly, Seasonal, Multi-year • Investigate spatial context thru comparisons with mobile surveys • Use as reference for an area’s relative activity level

  25. Goals during development To gather insight of bat activity and species diversity at LTBMS’ Identify data collection process Provide map examples of mobile acoustic bat surveys Same broadband freq-div detector as in Stationary sites (LTBMS) Time & Date stamp for each pass ADDITIONS: GPS unit Latitude & longitude position fix of each bat encountered Map the route traveled PDA unit View sonograms of passing bats in real time Exploratory Mobile Surveys Goals for Citizen-based Monitoring • 1st a Bat Atlas for the state – WI BATLAS • Distribution during seasons • 2nda monitoring strategy • Identify Trends

  26. Lake Survey w/ trolling motor

  27. Training, Equipment, Data • Developing a training seminar & operator handbooks • Earn your wings >:< Different levels of participation—similar to water monitoring • A range of options sure to fit nearly any group or individual level of interest • Equipment cost of approximately $2,500 - $3,000for a complete system • groups/individuals from an area may be able to work toward raising equipment funds, share or own equipment, and or take on individual responsibilities of organization and dissemination of data • Website: Central point of information transfer, Scheduled meetings, options, Network opportunities, Summaries, reports and news • Keep your eyes on the CBM website for link information • Indicate your level of interest and sign up to receive notices for locations, dates, and times of next training seminar (small groups) • Descriptions to look for on the website • Bridge roost locators and monitoring • Bat house roost monitoring • Field Trips

  28. Acknowledgements • Kemp NRS- Karla Ortman, Scott Craven. • UW-Green Bay Cofrin Arboretum- Robert Howe • UW-Stevens Point Schmeekle Reserve- Jim Bucholz, Ron Zimmerman, Eric Anderson • Urban Ecology Center- Tim Vargo • UW-Madison Arboretum • Wisconsin DNR, Bureau of Endangered Resources- Ecological Inventory & Monitoring Section • Web & GIS assistance- Jill Rosenberg • Bat Capture assistance & volunteers- UW Platteville- Jeff Heubschman and Matt Willey, Milwaukee County Zoo- Mike Frayer • Bat Conservation Trust- UK National Bat Monitoring Programme • EME Systems, Berkeley CA • Titley Electronics, Balina NSW Australia • AnaBat System Development- Chris Corben

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