BAT RESEARCH

Roost-site Selection and Habitat Use of the Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans) in the Managed Forests of the Eastern Slopes of the Cascade Range

During the summers of 1997 and 1998, I conducted a 2 year study on the roost site selection and habitat use of the Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans) in the Cascade mountains of Washington state.

Bat conservation has recently become a major issue due to suspected population declines and a lack of basic ecological knowledge.  Forest bat species are of particular concern due to continued timber harvests and habitat fragmentaton.  The long-legged myotis is a forest bat species of Western North America.  It is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a catagory two species.  Little is known about the habitat requirements of this bat species.  In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and Champion Pacific Timberlands, Inc. I studied habitat use of this species at three spatial scales on the east slopes of the Cascade Range.  This study was conducted on two sites located 10 miles apart.  I studied fine-scale day-roost selection, habitat use versus availability at each site, and compared how habitat use shifts across the landscape.

THE FINAL PUBLICATION IS NOW ONLINE! 

This is 12,271 foot Mount Adams which dominates the view and natural history of my field site.

 STUDY AREA MAP

This was a multi-agency cooperative project.  Primary funding provided by;

Mt. Adams Ranger District, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Champion Pacific Timberlands, Inc.

Additional Funding Provided by;

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Bat Conservation International

Special Thanks to;

Rolando Mendez (USFS), Jessica Eskow (CPTI)

Linda S. Lenz, Greta Turschak, Sam Latra, Patrick Allen (CPTI)

The Washington Department of Natural Resources

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