The Forks National Historic Site

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                        WHY IS THE NORTHERN LONG-EARED BAT IN TROUBLE?

   White-nose Syndrome: The main threat and also the most severe threat to the long-eared bat is the white-nose syndrome. Due to the      occurrence of this disease which is wiping out a large portion of the species, it would be reasonable to assume that if this disease had not occurred in the first  place, there would not be such a dramatic decline of population among the species. The symptoms that distinguish the white-nose syndrome where first  discovered in New York 2006 and since then the disease has greatly spread at a fast rate from the Northeast to the Midwest and the Southeast; an area that  a large amount of the species mainly resided in before the uprising of the disease.  Numbers of northern long-eared bats (from hibernacula counts) have  declined by up to 99 percent in just the Northeast.  Although there is skepticism about the rate that white-nose syndrome will spread throughout the species’  range, it is expected someday to spread throughout the United States.

 

Other Sources of Mortality: Although not a significant amount of the population of the species declined due to the following aspects and sources of mortality, but they are now considered important factors towards increasing its numbers until there is a way to address the white-nose syndrome.

 

Impacts to Hibernacula:  Gates or other structures intended to exclude people from caves and mines not only restrict bat flight and movement, but also change airflow and internal cave and mine microclimates.  A change of even a few degrees can make a cave unsuitable for hibernating bats.  Also, cave-dwelling bats are vulnerable to human disturbance while hibernating.  Arousal during hibernation causes bats to use up their already reduced energy stores, which may lead to individuals not surviving the winter.

 

Loss or Degradation of Summer Habitat: Loss or Degradation of Summer Habitat:  Highway construction and/or repairs, railroad implants, commercial development, mining, and wind facility construction effectively remove habitat and are procedures that consistently occur in many areas of this bat’s habitat. And although it may sometimes seem that the forest management benefits the northern long-eared bats because it is sustaining their habitat rather than destroying it for other uses, depending on type and timing, forest management activities can cause mortality and temporarily remove or degrade roosting and foraging habitat.

 

Wind Farm Operation:(Another cause to raise the bats mortality rate)  Wind turbines can kill bats in many different ways (such as catching a bat in the turbine itself, which causes the rest of the species residing in the area to avoid the hazard which in turn could end up causing restriction in their "flight area" which could also cause restrictions on them when it comes to hunting in those areas, finding a food source, and finding an area to reside in) and depending on the species and how they operate, in very large numbers.  Mortality has been recorded for northern long-eared bats, although a luckily still a small number have been found to date.  However, there are many wind projects within a large portion of the bat’s range which causes a huge issue.

 

       What Is Being Done to Help the Northern Long-Eared Bat?

Disease Management: "Actions have been taken to try to reduce or slow the spread of white-nose syndrome through human transmission of the fungus into caves (e.g. cave and mine closures and advisories; national decontamination protocols).  A national plan was prepared by the Service and other state and federal agencies that details actions needed to investigate and manage white-nose syndrome.  Many state and federal agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations are researching this disease to try to control its spread and address its affect.  See www.whitenosesyndrome.org/ for more."

 

Addressing Wind Turbine Mortality: " The Service and others are working to minimize bat mortality from wind turbines on several fronts.  We fund and conduct research to determine why bats are susceptible to turbines, how to operate turbines to minimize mortality and where important bird and bat migration routes are located.  The Service, State natural resource agencies, and wind energy industry are developing a Midwest Wind Energy Habitat Conservation Plan that will provide wind farms a mechanism to continue operating legally while minimizing and mitigating listed bat mortality."

 

Listing: "The northern long-eared bat is listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.  Listing a species affords it the protections of the Act and also increases the priority of the species for funds, grants, and recovery opportunities."

 

Hibernacula Protection: "Many federal and state natural resource agencies and conservation organizations have protected caves and mines that are important hibernacula for cave-dwelling bats."