Summer Ecology of Indiana Bats in Ohio

The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) is a tree roosting species found throughout the eastern United States that is federally listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A more detailed understanding of summer roosting and foraging habitat for Indiana bats is needed for effective conservation and management. The objectives of this research included identifying and describing aspects of the summer ecology of this species, especially selection of tree roosts and foraging habitat in the Big Darby Creek area in Ohio. During the 2008–2010 seasons, the authors captured 55 Indiana bats and radiotracked 51 individuals. They tracked bats to 56 roost trees 474 times (bat roost days). Roosts were largely clustered in riparian woodland habitat along the Big Darby Creek. Roost trees were of 11 different species but two of the trees could not be identified. Eight of the trees were alive, two were declining, and the rest were dead or in a greater stage of decay. Roost trees were found relatively close to water, and tended to be dead or decaying, have a high percentage of loose bark, and be of a dominant canopy class, when compared to other available trees. The authors calculated 33 home ranges. Average home range size was 210.5 ± 130.6 SD ha (0.84 ± 0.52 SD mi²) for fixed kernel and 374.2 ± 359.6 SD ha (1.49 ± 1.44 SD mi²) for minimum convex polygon. Bats selected woodland and water habitats, and avoided cropland at multiple spatial scales. Although most foraging flights occurred within the riparian corridor, bats also moved outside the corridor to upland areas.

• Record URL:
  http://worldcat.org/oclc/746561060/viewonline
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21039
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21038
• Corporate Authors:

  Ohio State University, Columbus

  School of Environment and Natural Resources, 2021 Coffey Road
  Columbus, OH  United States  43210-1085

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Office of Research and Development, 1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223

  Ohio Department of Natural Resources

  Columbus, OH  United States  43224

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kniowski, Andrew B
  • Gehrt, Stanley D
• Publication Date: 2011-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Bibliography; Figures; Maps; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 124p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Endangered species; Habitat (Ecology)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bats (Animals)
• Geographic Terms: Indiana; Ohio
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01344717
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/OH-2011/11
• Contract Numbers: 134387
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 18 2011 2:50PM