Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA
Abstract White‐nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats across eastern North America. To date, hibernacula counts have been the predominant means of tracking the spread and impact of this disease on bat po...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7991 |
| _version_ | 1818904941453901824 |
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| author | Catherine Johnson Donald J. Brown Chris Sanders Craig W. Stihler |
| author_facet | Catherine Johnson Donald J. Brown Chris Sanders Craig W. Stihler |
| author_sort | Catherine Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract White‐nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats across eastern North America. To date, hibernacula counts have been the predominant means of tracking the spread and impact of this disease on bat populations. However, an understanding of the impacts of WNS on demographic parameters outside the winter season is critical to conservation and recovery of bat populations impacted by this disease. We used long‐term monitoring data to examine WNS‐related impacts to summer populations in West Virginia, where WNS has been documented since 2009. Using capture data from 290 mist‐net sites surveyed from 2003 to 2019 on the Monongahela National Forest, we estimated temporal patterns in presence and relative abundance for each bat species. For species that exhibited a population‐level response to WNS, we investigated post‐WNS changes in adult female reproductive state and body mass. Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat), M. septentrionalis (northern long‐eared bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri‐colored bat) all showed significant decreases in presence and relative abundance during and following the introduction of WNS, while Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) and Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) responded positively during the WNS invasion. Probability of being reproductively active was not significantly different for any species, though a shift to earlier reproduction was estimated for E. fuscus and M. septentrionalis. For some species, body mass appeared to be influenced by the WNS invasion, but the response differed by species and reproductive state. Results suggest that continued long‐term monitoring studies, additional research into impacts of this disease on the fitness of WNS survivors, and a focus on providing optimal nonwintering habitat may be valuable strategies for assessing and promoting recovery of WNS‐affected bat populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:15:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b54c772e7c664a88a567aa13bde7ebf5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:15:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-b54c772e7c664a88a567aa13bde7ebf52022-12-21T20:05:21ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-09-011118124531246710.1002/ece3.7991Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USACatherine Johnson0Donald J. Brown1Chris Sanders2Craig W. Stihler3Monongahela National Forest U.S. Forest Service Elkins West Virginia USASchool of Natural Resources West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia USASanders Environmental Inc. Bellefonte Pennsylvania USAWest Virginia Division of Natural Resources (retired) Elkins West Virginia USAAbstract White‐nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats across eastern North America. To date, hibernacula counts have been the predominant means of tracking the spread and impact of this disease on bat populations. However, an understanding of the impacts of WNS on demographic parameters outside the winter season is critical to conservation and recovery of bat populations impacted by this disease. We used long‐term monitoring data to examine WNS‐related impacts to summer populations in West Virginia, where WNS has been documented since 2009. Using capture data from 290 mist‐net sites surveyed from 2003 to 2019 on the Monongahela National Forest, we estimated temporal patterns in presence and relative abundance for each bat species. For species that exhibited a population‐level response to WNS, we investigated post‐WNS changes in adult female reproductive state and body mass. Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat), M. septentrionalis (northern long‐eared bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri‐colored bat) all showed significant decreases in presence and relative abundance during and following the introduction of WNS, while Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) and Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) responded positively during the WNS invasion. Probability of being reproductively active was not significantly different for any species, though a shift to earlier reproduction was estimated for E. fuscus and M. septentrionalis. For some species, body mass appeared to be influenced by the WNS invasion, but the response differed by species and reproductive state. Results suggest that continued long‐term monitoring studies, additional research into impacts of this disease on the fitness of WNS survivors, and a focus on providing optimal nonwintering habitat may be valuable strategies for assessing and promoting recovery of WNS‐affected bat populations.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7991batsbody conditionCorynorhinus townsendii virginianusdiseaseEptesicus fuscusgeneralized additive model |
| spellingShingle | Catherine Johnson Donald J. Brown Chris Sanders Craig W. Stihler Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA Ecology and Evolution bats body condition Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus disease Eptesicus fuscus generalized additive model |
| title | Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA |
| title_full | Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA |
| title_fullStr | Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA |
| title_short | Long‐term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White‐nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA |
| title_sort | long term changes in occurrence relative abundance and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of white nose syndrome in west virginia usa |
| topic | bats body condition Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus disease Eptesicus fuscus generalized additive model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7991 |
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