Deeley Sabrina, Johnson Joshua B, Ford W Mark, Gates J Edward
Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, PA, 17110, USA.
BMC Zool. 2021 May 7;6(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s40850-021-00079-5.
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States' Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016-2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003-2004) data.
The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat).
Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.
白鼻综合征（WNS）已导致美国中大西洋地区许多蝙蝠物种数量减少。为了确定国家公园管理局国家首都地区（NCR）蝙蝠群落的变化情况，我们在2016 - 2018年期间使用雾网和主动声学采样对该地区进行了调查，并将结果与白鼻综合征出现之前（2003 - 2004年）的数据进行了比较。
结果表明，受威胁的北方鼠耳蝠（Myotis septentrionalis）以及一些具有保护意义的物种持续存在，包括三色蝠（Perimyotis subflavus）、东部小脚蝠（Myotis leibii）和小棕蝠（Myotis lucifugus）。然而，我们记录到小棕蝠和三色蝠的数量及分布显著减少，北方鼠耳蝠的分布范围缩小，而大棕蝠（Eptesicus fuscus）的数量增加。
有记录显示白鼻综合征出现后北方鼠耳蝠的繁殖情况，这表明NCR的部分地区可能是重要的蝙蝠保护区。三色蝠和小棕蝠分布范围及数量的减少表明它们可能已从该地区许多先前占据的区域灭绝。
