Bat Presentation

Bats in a fire-prone landscape: Acoustic monitoring in the Power Fire 2014-2016

 — Presented by Zack Steel on March 15th at the ACCG General meeting.

Wildfire is a dynamic and common process in California’s forests that dramatically reshapes landscapes and the wildlife communities that inhabit them. Among the animals that are likely influenced by wildfire are 17 different species of insect-eating bats. However, in part because of their nocturnal habits, challenges to monitoring, and a cultural wariness of these species, bat use of Sierra Nevada forests and response to wildfire is relatively under-studied. This presentation summarizes ongoing monitoring of the bat community in the 2004 Power Fire burn area, which altered large areas of forest habitat of the Eldorado National forest. Using recent advances in monitoring technology, we recorded the sounds of hunting bats to determine how these species use the un-burned forests around Power, the range of conditions within the fire perimeter, and whether post-fire management actions influence bat presence and activity. This monitoring is improving our understanding of the forest bat community, and can inform future forest management in the Eldorado National Forest and the Sierra Nevada.

View his full presentation here: Bat Presentation