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AUTHORS: : Anna C. Siegfried, Wittenberg University; Taylor Ross, Wittenberg University; David J. Hixon, Wittenberg University; Douglas M. Andrews, Wittenberg University; David Richardson, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Scott Warsen, US Forest Service; Richard S. Phillips, Wittenberg University; and Kimberly A. Piccolo, US Forest Service
ABSTRACT: Recent work indicates White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is expanding in the northeastern and central U.S., increasing the importance of effective monitoring of bat populations. To evaluate bat population change in northern Michigan mobile acoustic bat surveys were conducted on the Mio Ranger District of the Huron National Forest, Oscoda County, MI during the summers of 2010-2016. During 2012-2016, two 30 mile routes were monitored during three periods within the maternity period (June 1-15, June 16-30, July 1-15) using the Anabat® SD2 Bat Detector. The overall average for both routes is 72.33 bat detections per survey period for 2012, 29.33 per survey period for 2013, 40.17 for 2014, 30.25 for 2015 (only two survey periods), and 29.33 for 2016. Encounters among surveys within years varied from a low range of 11 encounters (30 to 41) and a high range of 106 encounters (8 to 114). Bat encounters did not differ among survey periods or between routes. Bat encounters were different among years, with an upward spike in bat encounters during 2012. Using 2010-2016 data, bat population data did not exhibit any significant trends across years. Given the importance of temporal scale in population monitoring and the limited number of summers of acoustic bat monitoring with survey periods documented (2012-2016), further monitoring is suggested over the next few years in Oscoda County. Although there was variation in surveys within years, survey results during the maternal period (1 June to 15 July) yielded similar results. Biologists on the Mio Ranger District can reliably sample during that maternal period.