Allegheny Gone Batty: Bat species richness and activity levels across an urban to rural gradient of Allegheny College-owned properties

Brown, Joy

Allegheny Gone Batty: Bat species richness and activity levels across an urban to rural gradient of Allegheny College-owned properties

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/50671

Author(s)

Brown, Joy

Date Issued

May 1, 2020

Abstract

Bats provide humans with important ecosystem services in environments around the world. As they have extreme longevity for their body size with records of some species living up to 40 years, are top predators of common nocturnal insects, and are sensitive to changes in land-use practices, they can be used as indicators of biodiversity and environmental health. There are ten species of bats in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, yet there is a distinct lack of data available to the public about the status of their populations. Urbanization is a major driver of habitat alteration, yet its effects on bat species populations within the area remain unclear. This study compared bat species richness and activity levels among three Allegheny College-owned properties, at urban (Allegheny College campus), semi-urban (Robertson Athletic Field Complex), and rural (Bousson Experimental Research Preserve) habitats in Crawford County, PA in order to determine how urbanization affects local bat populations. Study sites at each property were randomly selected using ArcGIS Pro Version 2.3. Following the protocol outlined in the USDA NABat Monitoring Program, bat species composition was determined through acoustic sampling over the course of 3-4 calm, clear nights and were later analyzed using Kaleidoscope Pro. Bat activity levels were assessed through 30-minute visual surveys following the protocol of the PA Game Commission. Results showed that urbanization negatively impacted bat activity levels and species richness with the most species detected at the rural property and significantly higher activity levels at the rural property in comparison with the urban (Tukey HSD test, p< 0.01) and semi-urban properties (Tukey HSD test, p< 0.01). Going forward, state conservation plans should ensure the preservation of undisturbed rural forest habitats to protect vulnerable bat species such as the little brown bat whose population has already greatly declined due to White Nose Syndrome.

Major

Environmental Science

Honors

Environmental Science / Studies, 2020

First Reader(s)

Bradshaw-Wilson, Casey R.