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LTEM: Monitoring activity levels of bats in Olympic National Park
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Dr. Kurt J. Jenkins, USGS, FRESC, OFS and Dr. Janet Erickson, University of Washington
 Eleven of 16 species of bats found in the Pacific Northwest are thought to be associated primarily with late-seral forests and three species are listed as Federal Species of Concern. Being small endothermic animals, bats are particularly affected by climatic conditions. Further, pronounced climatic gradients on the Olympic Peninsula may strongly influence species distributions and susceptibility to long-term change. The purpose of this study is to evaluate protocols for monitoring relative activity and composition of bat communities in Olympic National Park. This is done by recording and interpreting their ultrasonic echolocation calls, and comparing relative activity levels of bats to regional patterns that are emerging from larger-scaled studies. We assess spatial and annual variability in relative activity levels of bats in low-elevation, old-growth Douglas-fir forests located in the Elwha and Quinault watersheds, and provide recommendations for long-term monitoring.
K. J. Jenkins, J. Erickson, and J. Yaeger. In Prep. Monitoring activity levels of bats in Olympic National Park: preliminary design studies. USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center.
We would like to thank Justin Yaeger, our lead technician, for conducting field work, interpreting bat calls, managing the data, and assisting in the documentation of field protocols. We would also like to thank Katherine Beirne for developing the database, Roger Hoffman for providing invaluable GIS support, Mike Adams for assisting with data analysis, and Carrie Donnellan for preparing metadata summaries for this project.
Kurt Jenkins
Phone: 360-565-3041
E-mail: kurt_jenkins@usgs.gov
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