Bat acoustic data from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 2017

Pilkington, Lonnie; Tallman, Shandiin; Rosado, Jessica; Berg, Mike

GLCA staff and interns resurveyed (initial survey completed in 2016) 10, NABat 10- by 10-km grid cell sample units using stationary point and mobile acoustic transect survey protocols. Mist-netting efforts were incorporated to ease interpretation of acoustic data and to verify species presence in the area. Sampling was targeted in the following vegetation communities: pinyon-juniper woodlands, riparian, and desert shrub. Stationary point acoustic surveys resulted in 14,786 recorded calls from which Sonobat 4 identified the following 16 species: A. pallidus, E. fuscus, E. maculatum, E. perotis (under investigation), L. blossevillii (under investigation), L. cinereus, L. noctivagans, M. californicus, M. ciliolabrum, M. evotis, M. lucifugus (under investigation), M. thysanodes, M. volans, M. yumanensis, P. hesperus, and T. brasiliensis. Mobile acoustic transect surveys resulted in 106 recorded calls from which Sonobat 4 identified the following 3 species: M. californicus, P. hesperus and T. brasiliensis Mist-netting operations conducted over 14 nights resulted in 227 captures of the following 9 species: A. pallidus, E. fuscus, L. noctivagans, M. californicus, M. ciliolabrum, M. thysanodes, M. yumanensis, P. hesperus, and T. brasiliensis. The wing condition of all captured bats was scored from 0-3 according to the Reichard wing-damage index. Early emergence WNS/Pd surveillance sampling was not conducted due to fund source delays. GLCA and partners engaged 108 young citizen scientists in acoustic bat monitoring efforts on 5 multi-day river trips along the Colorado and San Juan Rivers. The citizen scientists learned about bat biology, bat conservation, and acoustic monitoring techniques. Each evening at riverside campsites citizen scientists deployed Wildlife Acoustics (WA) SM4BAT FS acoustic monitoring devices and used WA Echo Meter Touch monitoring devices to listen to and identify bats in real-time. Citizen science based stationary point acoustic surveys resulted in 19,258 recorded calls from which Sonobat 4 identified the following 14 species: A. pallidus, E. fuscus, E. maculatum, E. perotis (under investigation), L. blossevillii (under investigation), L. cinereus, L. noctivagans, M. californicus, M. ciliolabrum, M. lucifugus (under investigation), M. thysanodes, M. yumanensis, P. hesperus, and T. brasiliensis. On 07/22/17 GLCA and the Glen Canyon Natural History Association (GCNHA) hosted the 2nd Annual Glen Canyon Bat Festival and welcomed 156 visitors to the event. Colin Sobek (Northern Arizona University Research Specialist) presented research on “Species from Feces” which entails identifying bat species from their guano using a DNA mini-barcode system. Jessica Rosado’s (SCA NPS Academy Intern) presentation focused on bat conservation, threats, and park research. Educational booths and games consisted of threats (i.e. WNS, wind power development, caving decontamination protocols), bat house construction, gardening for bats, effects of artificial lighting on bats, bat monitoring equipment, and arts and crafts for kids. Attendees enjoyed learning how to use Echo Meter Touch monitoring devices on two bat listening walks. During National Bat Week, GLCA bat monitoring efforts were featured in an Outside Science (inside parks) episode (https://www.nps.gov/articles/osip17.htm). GCNHA and GLCA have partnered on an Adopt-a-Bat program (http://www.glencanyonnha.org/donation-products/adopt-a-bat) to promote bat conservation efforts and generate funding for park bat monitoring efforts. Since the program launched in the spring of 2017, 171 bats have been adopted. The park web page dedicated to WNS and bat conservation (https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/nature/bats.htm) is currently being updated. J. Rosado presented a research poster titled Bat Research and Conservation in the National Parks and how it is Changing Public Perception at the 47th Annual North American Society for Bat Research Meeting.

Bat acoustic data from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 2017

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