Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Luke E. Dodd
Second Advisor
Charles L. Elliott
Third Advisor
Sally Chambers
Abstract
Urbanization has led to major forest loss and negatively impacts ecosystem services. Urban reforestation efforts, such as Reforest the Bluegrass (RTB) in the Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area of Kentucky, have been implemented to address these negative effects, and to create habitat for forest-dependent wildlife such as bats. My research focused on assessing differences in bat activity across a 20-year chronosequence of RTB sites. Acoustic detectors were deployed across 10 different-aged plantings at 60 randomly-defined detector locations. Each planting was surveyed across 8 sampling periods from May – August 2023. Each recording session spanned ca. 7 consecutive nights, yielding a total of 417 detector nights which resulted in the detection of 10 species of bats. Bat activity was assessed according to phonic groups of species sharing similar echolocation characteristics. Bat activity was greater at the edges rather than the interiors of plantings across all phonic groups. Generally, bat activity was greater at plantings exceeding 10 years in age, plantings within 100 m of riparian areas, and at plantings with a perimeter-to-area ratio of 420 m/ha or smaller for all phonic groups, except hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) which exhibited habitat affinities counter to this. AIC model selection suggested that while various factors influence activity across phonic groups, bat activity was generally greater at plantings with larger-diameter trees. Bat activity was negatively associated with greater canopy cover across most phonic groups. These data suggest most bat species were associated with the edges of older plantings with less canopy cover and those located near riparian areas. Results of this study provides resource managers with guidance for future planting strategies to improve habitat for bats in urban and exurban environments in the Bluegrass region.
Recommended Citation
Collier, Grayson Marie, "Bat Activity Across Urban Forest Plantings in Lexington, Kentucky" (2024). Online Theses and Dissertations. 849.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/849
