New River Gorge Cliff Line Bat Inventory Survey
Roby P, Taylor A, Janos G, Seiter W. 2024. New River Gorge Cliff Line Bat Inventory Survey. Science Report. NPS/SR—2024/145. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2303814
The New River Gorge National River was established by Congress in 1978, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (NERI) was established more recently in December 2020. Recreational climbers have been using the Gorge and surrounding areas since the early 1970s. As visitation has increased, NERI has become interested in documenting the presence of bat species and their habitat on and near the cliff face, rim, and base areas to support a park management plan. A total of 51 routes were selected to survey three times throughout the summer of 2022. Cliff line surveys included personnel on-rope rappelling down each selected cliff face to look for bats or bat sign and to collect data on the physical attributes and record habitat information. In addition, a simultaneous acoustic survey for bats was conducted at the base of each survey route. Although no bats or bat sign were documented, analysis of the acoustic data in concert with the environmental factors revealed that bats were detected at more highly climbed walls versus unclimbed walls. Northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were more likely to be detected near less vegetated walls and activity of eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii) was higher as the summer progressed.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Roby, Piper; Taylor, Andrew; Janos, Gregg; Seiter, Will
- Date of Issue
- 2024-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2303814
- Units
- IMD , NERI , NRSS
- Keywords
- acoustic survey, bats, cliff, climbing wall, crevice, IMD, National Park Service, NERI, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, NPS, NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division, NPS Species Inventory Program