Theses Master's

Factors Influencing the Use of Artificial Bat Boxes as Maternity Roosts in New Jersey

Fischer, Erica Robinson

Summer roosts are critical components of many Northeastern bat species life histories, and many take advantage of man-made bat boxes for this purpose. While numerous studies have focused on the use of artificial bat houses by transient males as summer roosts, few studies have attempted to discern what type of bat box is ideal for housing a maternity colony, which are of greater conservation importance. In this study, I investigated numerous variables associated with the installation and placement of artificial bat boxes that are actively utilized as maternity roosts throughout the state of New Jersey, and compared those characteristics with unused bat boxes. Placement of a bat box on a building and not on a tree produced the most significant likelihood that a maternity roost would occupy it. Lighter coloring, less hours of sun daily, and older physical condition also emerged as significant variables, although these are all likely influenced by the highly significant mount type characteristic. Finally, bat boxes located in more disturbed areas such as suburban and urban areas were more often used than those in isolated areas, most likely due to the lack of natural roosting habitat in those areas. I provide actionable conservation recommendations based on these findings to inform the most effective placement of bat boxes. Lastly, this study represents the first of its kind in a post-white-nose fungus environment, and may serve as a starting point for more specific and focused studies on the importance of bat boxes used by maternity colonies in recovering bat populations.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
Thesis Advisors
Drew, Joshua Adam
Degree
M.A., Columbia University
Published Here
April 26, 2022