Identifying Potential Habitat for
Northern Long Eared Bats

Introduction

The Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is federally listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Northern Long-eared Bats are a migratory species, spending their winters in hibernacula—generally caves, and migrating to floodplain forests and roosting in trees during the summer. Their range covers most of the eastern United States and the species is dependent on floodplain forests for migration and summer habitat. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Northern Long-eared Bats, as well as other bird and bat species are highly impacted by the installation of wind turbines. The spinning blades are difficult for bats to avoid while flying, disrupting their migrations and causing major fatalities. (Amos, 2016)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has the responsibility of protecting and ultimately recovering listed threatened and endangered species. For many Midwestern bat species, this requires identifying important migratory corridors and ensuring the safe passage of individual bats as they migrate each spring and fall.

While Iowa is a prime candidate for developing wind energy, there is not a surplus of bat habitat. Additionally, most of the state has been altered for agricultural uses; streams have been straightened and trees have been removed, eliminating much of the forested riparian habitat that did exist. As human development continues to sprawl, it is crucial for land and resource managers, biologists and other conservation professionals to strategically preserve and protect landscapes and geographies that will most benefit the wildlife and resources they’re trying to recover.

Objective

The objective of this project is to identify potential habitat for the Northern Long-Eared Bat in Iowa. The analysis was limited to a specific river in a specific county in an effort to illustrate the analysis at a fine scale. While identifying potential habitat spatially, I also wanted to quantify the acreage, helping to identify counties with the greatest habitat preservation potential. This type of spatial analysis will allow managers to identify geographies for conservation that are the most feasible logistically and the most urgent for Northern Lone-Eared Bats.

· Methods

· Results

· Future Work