About This Project

What ecological differences among bats on the San Juan Islands predict which ones are most vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? As land is converted, habitats are isolated and reduced, which greatly threatens biodiversity. Even though bats can fly, they rely on different foods and environments, and can be severely influenced by habitat fragmentation. Bats provide invaluable ecosystem services, such as natural control of many insect pests, and my research will help with their conservation.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The San Juan Islands are famed for their resident Orca population, and yet their smallest groups of mammals go almost completely unnoticed. There are ten bat species on the islands, but there is a paucity of information on their distributions, abundance, or seasonal movements.

This naturally fragmented landscape is ideal for investigating how different bat species are affected by habitat fragmentation. To understand whether ecological differences among species predict which ones are most vulnerable to fragmentation, I am studying the diet, distribution, and population genetics of bats across 20 islands & mainland Washington.

In addition to demystifying San Juan bats, I will provide much needed baseline information on Pacific Northwest bats. Moreover, understanding how bats respond to habitat fragmentation is vital for their conservation.

What is the significance of this project?

The natural pest control services bats provide is estimated be worth over $3.7 billion/year to the agricultural industry in the US alone. Despite their enormous value, bats are often misunderstood and understudied.

While bats are incredibly important for maintaining healthy ecosystems, their cryptic nocturnal habits make them difficult to study. As a result, we still don't understand many basic aspects of their biology and behavior.

Moreover, a novel infectious disease, is spreading across North America, threatening several species with extinction. It is critical to collect baseline information in unaffected areas before the disease arrives.

Investigating how bat species move through the landscape (e.g., population genetics) is also important for understanding how disease spreads.

What are the goals of the project?

The goal of this study is to investigate whether ecological differences among species explain which species are most vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.

1. Assess the distribution of bat species in a naturally fragmented landscape (San Juan Archipelago, Washington State). This will allow me assess the habitats in which different species occur.

2. Characterize the diet and foraging ecology of San Juan bats: this will allow me to assess how picky each species is in terms of where they hunt and what insects they eat.

3. Compare the population connectivity among bat species that have different dietary and environmental needs.