Assessing Bat Biodiversity in Increasingly Urban Landscapes
Disciplines
Biodiversity | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Urbanization poses significant challenges to native wildlife, often leading to the loss of spatial biodiversity. The replacement of natural habitats with urban structures creates opportunities for certain non-native species, termed “synanthropic species”, to thrive in disturbed environments. Understanding the factors influencing species survival in urban areas is crucial to conservation efforts. Urban expansion threatens bat populations, impacting their ability to provide valuable ecosystem services such as pest control and pollination. While previous studies have examined the effects of urbanization on bat biodiversity, research in the Atlanta, Georgia area remains sparse. This study investigated bat biodiversity in and around Atlanta, GA, along an urban-to-rural gradient extending to 64.4 km to Bartow County, GA, considering factors such as land cover patterns and socioeconomic influences. Preliminary results indicate a diverse bat fauna across the gradient, with each location detecting a mean of 10.8 species (SD = 3.3). Simpson index of diversity ranged from 0.236 to 0.858, with mean = 0.638 (SD = 0.216). Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) was the most frequently detected, followed by tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). By assessing bat populations in this urban context, this research contributes to our understanding of how urbanization affects wildlife, informing conservation efforts in rapidly urbanizing regions.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Nicholas Green
Assessing Bat Biodiversity in Increasingly Urban Landscapes
Urbanization poses significant challenges to native wildlife, often leading to the loss of spatial biodiversity. The replacement of natural habitats with urban structures creates opportunities for certain non-native species, termed “synanthropic species”, to thrive in disturbed environments. Understanding the factors influencing species survival in urban areas is crucial to conservation efforts. Urban expansion threatens bat populations, impacting their ability to provide valuable ecosystem services such as pest control and pollination. While previous studies have examined the effects of urbanization on bat biodiversity, research in the Atlanta, Georgia area remains sparse. This study investigated bat biodiversity in and around Atlanta, GA, along an urban-to-rural gradient extending to 64.4 km to Bartow County, GA, considering factors such as land cover patterns and socioeconomic influences. Preliminary results indicate a diverse bat fauna across the gradient, with each location detecting a mean of 10.8 species (SD = 3.3). Simpson index of diversity ranged from 0.236 to 0.858, with mean = 0.638 (SD = 0.216). Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) was the most frequently detected, followed by tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). By assessing bat populations in this urban context, this research contributes to our understanding of how urbanization affects wildlife, informing conservation efforts in rapidly urbanizing regions.