Mentor: Tereza Jezkova, Ph.D.

Bats offer a variety of ecosystem services in the locations where they are found. They pollinate, manage insect populations, and reduce disease (Kasso & Balakrishnan, 2013). However, out of the roughly 1,400 bat species worldwide, there are 1,001 species currently listed under some level of risk of extinction. Many of these species are endemic to their range, playing the role of a keystone species within the ecosystem (Mickleburgh et al., 2002). This trend continues in Ohio. There are ten species of bats commonly found in the state, all of which are insectivorous and thus reduce the spread of disease and manage pest populations (Simonis, 2018). All of these species are state-listed, while two are federally listed: the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and the Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Threats to the bat populations within Ohio include habitat loss, the presence of WNS, and pollution. Of these issues, land use change seems to be the most threatening factor (Russo-Petrick & Root, 2023). Providing ideal habitat is crucial to better protecting bats. Previous research has indicated that different species prefer different habitat types within both primary and secondary forests. These preferences depend heavily on foraging habits, with larger species more often selecting forest edges and smaller bats selecting forest interiors (Simonis, 2018). To better conserve endangered bat populations, it is vital to learn more about their demography and distribution.
Hueston Woods State Park, located in southwestern Ohio, is an area of interest due to its 200 acres of old growth forest, meadows, and its 625 acre lake that is fed into by Four-mile creek. It offers ideal habitat for several different bat species, and is within range for both the Indiana bat and a disjunct population of Mexican free-tailed bats. This uniqueness led to the decision to survey the park. We used bioacoustic instruments and traveled along the main loop that encompasses most of the park. Driving at 15 miles per hour, we collected acoustic data in two rounds that alternated directions at sunset, midnight, and sunrise. This data was then processed in R to create species composition models. The results of this survey showed that species composition does change both temporally and seasonally. Evaluating bat composition over time and season is important in creating suitable habitat to better conserve their populations and ecosystem services.

Explore the Project