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Winter roosting ecology of silver-haired bats in an Arkansas forest

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Although summer roosting by Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silverhaired Bats) has been studied in various ecological regions of North America, no quantitative studies have examined winter roost selection. We radiotracked 11 bats to 31 day-roosts during winter in forests of the Ouachita Mountains, AR. We quantified roost structures and examined the association between roosts and forest stands. We also examined effects of temperature on roost use. Ninety percent of roosts were in trees (5 species): 55% of all roosts were under loose bark on the bole of live overstory Pinus echinata (Shortleaf Pine), 3% of roosts were in a rock outcrop, and 6% were at ground level (under a tree root or in a cavity at the base of a live pine). Bats selected pine or pine-hardwoods stands >50 years old, and used forest stands 15–50 years of age less than their availability. Roost locations were influenced by temperature and solar radiation; most (90%) roosts were on southern topographic aspects, and bats roosted in the rock outcrop or on the ground on colder days (<5 °C). Retaining open pine and hardwood stands >50 years old on south slopes would likely maintain roosting habitat for wintering Silver-haired Bats in the Ouachita Mountains.

Keywords

Arkansas, silver-haired bats, Lasionycteris noctivagans, winter roosts

Citation

Perry, Roger W.; Saugey, David A.; Crump, Betty G. 2010. Winter roosting ecology of silver-haired bats in an Arkansas forest. Southeastern Naturalist 9(3):563-572.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/36641