Bat Activity in the Boreal Forest: Importance of Stand Type and Vertical Strata
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Matina C. Kalcounis-Rüppell, Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: We examined habitat use by bats in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan during summer
1995 by monitoring echolocation calls across forest types and through the canopy of
mature forest. We sampled bat activity in mature aspen (Populus tremuloides)-white spruce
(Picea glauca) mixedwood, aspen, and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) stands and recorded
passes from little brown (Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared (M. septentrionalis), big
brown (Eptesicus fuscus) or silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) bats. There were significantly more bat passes per night in the aspen-white
spruce mixedwood forest than in aspen or jack pine forest. There was no difference in the
proportion of feeding buzzes recorded from aspen-white spruce mixedwood and aspen
forest. In aspen forest, mean number of hoary bat calls per night was higher above than
below the canopy, whereas number of Myotis calls was higher within and above the canopy
than below the canopy. There was no difference in the number of feeding buzzes recorded
among the three canopy heights. Bat activity peaked toward sunset below the canopy but
was more uniform within and above the canopy. Our results highlight the importance of
mature aspen-white spruce mixedwood and aspen forest as habitat for boreal forest-dwelling
bats and demonstrate for the first time that insectivorous bats are active both within
and above canopy levels of the boreal forest.
Bat Activity in the Boreal Forest: Importance of Stand Type and Vertical Strata
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Journal of Mammalogy, 80(2):673-682, 1999
- Language: English
- Date: 1999
- Keywords
- Anabat, bats, bat detector, boreal forest, echolocation, habitat-use, foraging ,
forest type, forest canopy