Habitat suitability and connectivity modeling reveal priority areas for Indiana bat ( Myotis sodalis ) conservation in a
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Habitat suitability and connectivity modeling reveal priority areas for Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) conservation in a complex habitat mosaic Ashleigh B. Cable . Joy M. O’Keefe Steven J. Taylor . Mark A. Davis
. Jill L. Deppe
. Tara C. Hohoff
.
Received: 9 October 2019 / Accepted: 16 September 2020 Ó The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Context Conservation for the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), a federally endangered species in the United States of America, is typically focused on local maternity sites; however, the species is a regional migrant, interacting with the environment at multiple spatial scales. Hierarchical levels of management may be necessary, but we have limited knowledge of landscape-level ecology, distribution, and connectivity of suitable areas in complex landscapes.
Objectives We sought to (1) identify factors influencing M. sodalis maternity colony distribution in a mosaic landscape, (2) map suitable maternity habitat, and (3) quantify connectivity importance of patches to direct conservation action. Methods Using 3 decades of occurrence data, we tested a priori, hypothesis-driven habitat suitability models. We mapped suitable areas and quantified connectivity importance of habitat patches with probabilistic habitat availability metrics. Results Factors improving landscape-scale suitability included limited agriculture, more forest cover, forest edge, proximity to medium-sized water bodies, lower elevations, and limited urban development.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01125-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. A. B. Cable J. L. Deppe Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USA Present Address: A. B. Cable (&) Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA e-mail: [email protected] J. M. O’Keefe Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA
J. M. O’Keefe M. A. Davis Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA J. L. Deppe Migratory Bird Initiative, National Audubon Society, Washington, DC 20036, USA T. C. Hohoff S. J. Taylor M. A. Davis Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA S. J. Taylor Office of General Studies, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA
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Landscape Ecol
Areas closer to hibernacula and rivers were suitable. Binary maps showed that 30% of the study area was suitable for M. sodalis and 29% was important for connectivity. Most suitable patches were important for intra-patch connectivity and far fewer contributed to inter-patch connectivity. Conclusions While simple models may be effective for small, homogenous landscapes, complex models are needed to explain habita
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