Sex-specific summer roost-site selection by seminole bats in response to landscape-level forest management

Published source details Hein C.D., Castleberry S.B. & Miller K.V. (2008) Sex-specific summer roost-site selection by seminole bats in response to landscape-level forest management. Journal of Mammalogy, 89, 964-972.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Retain forested corridors in logged areas Action Link

Retain forested corridors in logged areas

A replicated, site comparison study in 2003–2006 of 27 radio-tracked Seminole bats Lasiurus seminolus in loblolly pine Pinus taeda plantations in South Carolina, USA (Hein et al 2008) found that forested corridors had more Seminole bat roosts than logged mid-rotation tree stands or mature forest. More male and female Seminole bat roosts were in forested corridors (male bats: 25 roosts, 61%; female bats: 31 roosts, 63%) than in logged mid-rotation stands (male bats: 14 roosts, 34%; female bats: 14 roosts, 29%) or mature forest (male bats: 2 roosts, 5%; female bats: 4 roosts, 8%). Distance to the nearest forested corridor was also negatively related to roost site selection (data reported as statistical model results). The study area (41,365 ha) was intensively managed for pine production. Mid-rotation logged stands were 12–22 years old. Forested corridors (100–200 m wide) consisted of mature pine (>23 years old) and/or mixed hardwood (>50 years old). Bats were caught with mist nets at nine ponds in open habitat from May–August in 2003–2006. Twenty-seven adult Seminole bats (10 males, 17 females) were tracked to 90 day roosts in the canopy of live pine trees.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)