“Bat Blitz” Conducted in Bankhead National Forest, Alabama by Southeast Bat Diversity Network

 

“Bat Blitz” Conducted in Bankhead National Forest, Alabama by Southeast Bat Diversity Network

Biologists recently banded and radio-tagged bats that are an important part of our night-time wildlife. During the first week of August 2022, the Alabama Bat Working Group hosted the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network’s Bat Blitz (SBDN) on the Bankhead National Forest in Alabama.  A Bat Blitz is a coordinated, intensive survey designed to sample the bat community in an extensive area. These events generally involve a substantial, voluntary contribution of time and materials from bat experts.  Bat biologists from across the southeast, and even from another country this year, descended on Bankhead National Forest to sample bats over roads and streams in the Forest using mist nets and at caves using harp traps.  An educational event was hosted to raise awareness about the value of bats and their role in our environment.  For instance, did you know that bats consume insects that would have caused billions of dollars in agricultural damage in the USA every year? Bats also prey on insects that are vectors of diseases to other animals and humans.

 

The goal of the 2022 Alabama Bat Blitz was to conduct a comprehensive survey of the bat community of Bankhead National Forest and surrounding environments to continue learning where bats occur on Bankhead National Forest, their habitat use and about trends in presence.  SBDN held its Bat Blitz at Bankhead in 2008, prior to the advent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Alabama, a disease that has devastated bat populations in the United States. WNS was first documented at Bankhead in 2014. The 2022 Alabama Bat Blitz replicated the 2008 Blitz and will directly compare the composition of the bat community at Bankhead 6 years before and 8 years after the arrival of WNS.  Importantly, the intensive survey, along with other ancillary data collected in the State, revealed the impact of the fatal WNS bat disease on once prevalent federally listed Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) and Northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), in a critical forest habitat like the Bankhead NF.  The partners also documented feeding activity and roosting sites of bat species of concern using radio-tracking. Rare bats and species in decline from the WNS were tagged with light-weight (0.25grams) radio transmitter that emits a radio signal to portable radio receivers for radio tracking the bats’ locations night and day.   This information will guide the future management of Bankhead National Forest by the US Forest Service (USFS).

Ten teams of biologists surveyed bats over a three-night period.  The biologists netted or trapped 29 sites across Winston and Lawrence counties, including both upland and riparian sites, pine, hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests, and caves.   Bats were captured with a fine-mesh mist net and were then quickly removed by a trained biologist. They were weighed, measured, identified and health status was quickly assessed. Most bats were released within a few minutes where they were captured. The biologists captured 189 bats of five species, including red bat, big brown bat, tricolored bat, evening bat, and seminole bat.  No federally listed bats, Indiana, Gray, or Northern long-eared bats were captured this year. The biologists attached radio transmitters to four rare tricolored bats in attempts to conduct a radio telemetry project to learn more about their  use of the forest.  A small team of biologists attempted to radio-track the four bats from the ground and the air for the life of the radio transmitters, a period of about 12 days.  One radio-tagged tricolored bat was located over eight miles from its initial capture point. 

In comparison, in 2008 before the arrival of white-nose syndrome, at the same sites and with less netting effort, biologists at the Bat Blitz captured 385 bats of seven species including big brown bat, red bat, gray bat, Northern long-eared bat, Indiana bat, evening bat and tricolored bat. The impact of WNS on the northern long-eared bat was especially evident when 101 were captured in 2008, but none were captured in 2022. The declines in other federally-listed bat species that hibernate in northern Alabama caves demonstrates the need to protect these species and their critical habitats.

About 70 individuals including biologists and students from around the southeast and representing multiple federal and state agencies, power companies, consultants, and universities participated in the Bat Blitz.  Camp McDowell graciously served as Bat Blitz headquarters.  Generous donations from sponsors helped defray participant registration, supplies, refreshments and other costs associated with conducting a Bat Blitz.  Sponsors of the event include the US Forest Service, Alabama Bat Working Group, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Alabama Power Company, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Copperhead Environmental Consulting, TVA, Alabama Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Northwest RC&D Council, Vanasse-Hangren-Brustlin, Inc, CCR Environmental Consulting, and Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer Association.