Date of Award
Summer 6-30-2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Integrative Biology (MSIB)
Department
Biology
Committee Chair/First Advisor
William Ensign
Major Professor
Thomas McElroy
Second Committee Member
Troy Mutchler
Abstract
Restoration of native flora or reintroduction of at-risk fauna includes management practices that while encouraging presence and proliferation of target species, may adversely affect non-focal species. An endemic ecosystem undergoing restoration within the southeastern U.S. is that of the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Bats inhabit key ecological niches in forest ecosystems, including the longleaf pine ecosystem, and can be indicators of ecosystem condition. This study investigated the effects of current forest management practices and landscape management history on bat species presence and activity levels within habitat undergoing longleaf pine restoration. We deployed bat detectors in two wildlife management areas within the Raccoon Creek Watershed of northwest Georgia, USA. These areas differed in landscape management history and intensity of longleaf pine restoration practices. Results indicated a significant difference in species activity between landscape management histories but no significant differences were detected in activity or species presence with respect to contemporary restoration practices. The species most active on the landscape were the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis). The data collected in this study will serve as a baseline for bat activity in the region and for evaluating the impacts of the restoration methods on the local bat community.
Included in
Integrative Biology Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons