4 - Habitat ecology and conservation of bats in western coniferous forests

Summary

Introduction

Until recently, little was known about most aspects of the ecology of bats in forests. A basic understanding of several fundamental elements of the natural history of forest-dwelling bats, such as characteristics of habitat used for foraging and structures used for roosting, was lacking or minimal. In addition, influences of forest structure and management practices on bats were almost entirely unknown. Within the past decade, significant strides have been made in the development of our understanding of the ecology of bats in western coniferous forests and the influences of forest management on bats, but substantial gaps in the knowledge base remain. In this chapter, I review what is known about the habitat ecology of bats in western coniferous forests, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the current state of knowledge, suggest directions for future research, and discuss some of the implications for forest management and conservation of bats. I emphasize information based on studies conducted within western coniferous forests whenever possible. Throughout my review, I generally focus on aspects of the ecology of bats in western coniferous forests that are common to several species. Although emphasizing commonalities among species is valuable to help identify unifying principles, it should be recognized that each species has a unique natural history and suite of behavioral characteristics, and that these differences are often important in the conservation of bats.

Forty species of bats occur west of the Mississippi River and north of Mexico.