Consumption of endemic arbovirus mosquito vectors by bats in the southeastern United States.

Mosquitoes affect human health and well-being globally through their roles as disease-causing pathogen vectors. Utilizing genetic techniques, we conducted a large-scale dietary study of three bat species common to the southeastern U.S.A., Lasiurus seminolus (Seminole bat), Nycticeius humeralis (evening bat), and Myotis austroriparius (southeastern myotis). Through next-generation sequencing of a 180 bp portion of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of mitochondrial DNA from 180 bat guano samples, we documented consumption of 17 species of mosquitoes by bats, including six endemic arbovirus vectors. Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex coronator, Culiseta melanura, Culex salinarius, Culex erraticus, and Coquillettidia perturbans were consumed by 51.3%, 43.7%, 27.2%, 22.8%, 18.0%, and 12.7% of bats sampled, respectively. Consumption of two of these mosquito species was explained by spatial variables reflecting the prevalence of mosquito larval habitat, five were explained by bat traits (bat mass, bat species), and two were explained by these factors plus temporal variables (maximum daily temperature, time since sunset, date), making it challenging to offer specific guidance on how best to promote bats as a means of reducing arbovirus vector species. Our results show that common bat species of the southeastern U.S.A. consume endemic, but not exotic, arbovirus mosquito vectors. Future studies are needed to understand the impact of bat consumption on mosquito numbers and public health.

Conserving alpha and beta diversity in wood-production landscapes.

International demand for wood and other forest products continues to grow rapidly, and uncertainties remain about how animal communities will respond to intensifying resource extraction associated with woody bioenergy production. We examined changes in alpha and beta diversity of bats, bees, birds, and reptiles across wood production landscapes in the southeastern United States, a biodiversity hotspot that is one of the principal sources of woody biomass globally. We sampled across a spatial gradient of paired forest land-uses (representing pre and postharvest) that allowed us to evaluate biological community changes resulting from several types of biomass harvest. Short-rotation practices and residue removal following clearcuts were associated with reduced alpha diversity (-14.1 and -13.9 species, respectively) and lower beta diversity (i.e., Jaccard dissimilarity) between land-use pairs (0.46 and 0.50, respectively), whereas midrotation thinning increased alpha (+3.5 species) and beta diversity (0.59). Over the course of a stand rotation in a single location, biomass harvesting generally led to less biodiversity. Cross-taxa responses to resource extraction were poorly predicted by alpha diversity: correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were highly variable (-0.2 to 0.4) with large uncertainties. In contrast, beta diversity patterns were highly consistent and predictable across taxa, where correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were all positive (0.05-0.4) with more narrow uncertainties. Beta diversity may, therefore, be a more reliable and information-rich indicator than alpha diversity in understanding animal community response to landscape change. Patterns in beta diversity were primarily driven by turnover instead of species loss or gain, indicating that wood extraction generates habitats that support different biological communities.

Conservación de la Diversidad Alfa y Beta en Paisajes de Producción Maderera Resumen La demanda internacional de madera y otros productos forestales sigue creciendo rápidamente mientras permanecen las incertidumbres sobre cómo responderán las comunidades animales a la intensificación de la extracción de recursos asociada con la producción de bioenergía leñosa. Examinamos los cambios en la diversidad alfa y beta de murciélagos, abejas, aves y reptiles en los paisajes de producción maderera en el sureste de los Estados Unidos, un punto caliente de biodiversidad y una de las fuentes principales de biomasa leñosa a nivel mundial. Muestreamos a lo largo de un gradiente espacial de usos de suelo forestales emparejados (representando la pre- y postcosecha) que nos permitió evaluar los cambios en las comunidades biológicas resultantes de varios tipos de recolección de biomasa. Las prácticas de corta rotación y de eliminación de residuos después de la tala estuvieron asociadas con la reducción de la diversidad alfa (−14.1 y −13.9 especies, respectivamente) y una diversidad beta más baja (es decir, diferencia de Jaccard) entre los pares de uso de suelo (0.46 y 0.50, respectivamente), mientras que el raleo de rotación media incrementó la diversidad alfa (+3.5 especies) y beta (0.59). Durante la duración de una rotación permanente en una sola ubicación, la cosecha de biomasa generalmente derivó en menos biodiversidad. La respuesta de los taxones a la extracción de recursos estuvo muy mal pronosticada por la diversidad alfa: la correlación de las respuestas entre los grupos taxonómicos fue altamente variable (−0.2 a 0.4) con muchas incertidumbres. Como contraste, los patrones de diversidad beta fueron fuertemente coherentes y predecibles en todos los taxones, mientras que la correlación de las respuestas entre los grupos taxonómicos siempre fue positiva (0.05 a 0.4) con incertidumbres más limitadas. Por lo tanto, la diversidad beta puede ser un indicador más confiable y rico en información que la diversidad alfa para entender las respuestas de la comunidad animal a los cambios en el paisaje. Los patrones de la diversidad beta estuvieron impulsados principalmente por la rotación en lugar de la pérdida o ganancia de especies, lo que indica que la extracción de madera genera hábitats que mantienen a diferentes comunidades biológicas.

Resilient structure of nature-based extension programs facilitates transition to online delivery and maintains participant satisfaction.

Restrictions on public gatherings in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in cancelation of in-person outreach programs offered by the Florida Master Naturalist Program and Natural Areas Training Academy, two successful University of Florida extension programs that provide natural history and resource management training to lay and professional audiences. In response, both programs rapidly transitioned to blended or 100% online educational methods to continue offering courses and maintain program operations. To assess participant responses to these changes, we used surveys and course registry data to evaluate and compare course enrollment, satisfaction, and outcomes among courses with new online formats to courses offered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined logistical challenges and key programmatic elements that facilitated the transition of both programs to increased reliance on online education. Course participants responded favorably to classes offered online. Our results revealed an audience exists for online programming, that satisfaction with online courses was high and comparable to that measured for in-person courses, and that online approaches effectively transferred knowledge and promoted behavior change in participants. The transition to online programming required investments of time, energy, and in some cases, direct costs. However, this transition was greatly facilitated by the existence of well-defined program protocols, educational curricula, strong partnerships, and feedback mechanisms for both programs. Long-term investments in program structure, partnerships, and support systems enabled both programs to be resilient and adaptable and successfully implement online programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bat community response to intensification of biomass production for bioenergy across the southeastern United States.

Human demand for food, fiber, and space is accelerating the rate of change of land cover and land use. Much of the world now consists of a matrix of natural forests, managed forests, agricultural cropland, and urbanized plots. Expansion of domestic energy production efforts in the United States is one driver predicted to influence future land-use and land management practices across large spatial scales. Favorable growing conditions make the southeastern United States an ideal location for producing a large portion of the country's renewable bioenergy. We investigated patterns of bat occurrence in two bioenergy feedstocks commonly grown in this region (corn, Zea mays, and pine, Pinus taeda and P. elliottii). We also evaluated potential impacts of the three major pathways of woody biomass extraction (residue removal following clearcut harvest, short-rotation energy plantations, and mid-rotation forest thinning) to bat occurrence through a priori land-use contrasts. We acoustically sampled bat vocalizations at 84 sites in the Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plains of the southeastern United States across three years. We found that mid-rotation thinning resulted in positive effects on bat occurrence, and potential conversion of unmanaged (reference) forest to managed forest for timber and/or bioenergy harvest resulted in negative effects on bat occurrence when effects were averaged across all species. The effects of short-rotation energy plantations, removal of logging residues from plantation clearcuts, and corn were equivocal for all bat species examined. Our results suggest that accelerated production of biomass for energy production through either corn or intensively managed pine forests is not likely to have an adverse effect on bat communities, so long as existing older unmanaged forests are not converted to managed bioenergy or timber plantations. Beyond bioenergy crop production, mid-rotation thinning of even-aged pine stands intended for timber production, increases to the duration of plantation rotations to promote older forest stands, arranging forest stands and crop fields to maximize edge habitat, and maintaining unmanaged forests could benefit bat communities by augmenting roosting and foraging opportunities.

Mobile acoustic transects miss rare bat species: implications of survey method and spatio-temporal sampling for monitoring bats.

Due to increasing threats facing bats, long-term monitoring protocols are needed to inform conservation strategies. Effective monitoring should be easily repeatable while capturing spatio-temporal variation. Mobile acoustic driving transect surveys ('mobile transects') have been touted as a robust, cost-effective method to monitor bats; however, it is not clear how well mobile transects represent dynamic bat communities, especially when used as the sole survey approach. To assist biologists who must select a single survey method due to resource limitations, we assessed the effectiveness of three acoustic survey methods at detecting species richness in a vast protected area (Everglades National Park): (1) mobile transects, (2) stationary surveys that were strategically located by sources of open water and (3) stationary surveys that were replicated spatially across the landscape. We found that mobile transects underrepresented bat species richness compared to stationary surveys across all major vegetation communities and in two distinct seasons (dry/cool and wet/warm). Most critically, mobile transects failed to detect three rare bat species, one of which is federally endangered. Spatially replicated stationary surveys did not estimate higher species richness than strategically located stationary surveys, but increased the rate at which species were detected in one vegetation community. The survey strategy that detected maximum species richness and the highest mean nightly species richness with minimal effort was a strategically located stationary detector in each of two major vegetation communities during the wet/warm season.

Contributions of private landowners to the conservation of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).

Private landowners play a pivotal role in determining whether or not rare species persist in regions where privately owned land is extensive. The range of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is confined to the Southeastern U.S., a region predominantly under private ownership, and thus the status of this species is largely dependent upon land management decisions made by private landowners. We sent an anonymous mail survey to 2,584 individuals to examine factors affecting gopher tortoise occurrence on private lands in Mississippi (adjusted response rate of 23%). Few respondents (19%) reported currently having tortoises on their property, although many had them in the past (30%). Tortoises were persisting primarily on larger properties with longleaf pine that were not managed chiefly for timber production. In general, respondents were largely unaware of habitat requirements of tortoises or effects of various land management practices on them, and few reported using management techniques that benefit tortoises, such as prescribed burning. Most respondents (57%) knew of wildlife incentive programs, but were hesitant to enroll because they did not want to commit to managing their property in a particular manner (34%). We suggest actions that could improve the likelihood of tortoise persistence in this region, as well as changes that could be made to incentive programs to increase landowner participation. These suggestions should be relevant to the conservation of other rare species on private lands in other regions.