BACKGROUND
Scientists, resource managers, and bat-enthusiasts have been concerned about the future of bat populations for decades. NABat was designed to unify this continental community to collaboratively monitor bats, assemble data in a centralized database, and deliver status and trends for one of North America's critical resources -- BATS!
Bats are Amazing
Photo: Roxanne Pourshoustari
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Bats make up the second largest order of mammals, Chiroptera, and comprise one-fifth of all mammalian species. They perform numerous ecosystem services like insect pest control and plant pollination, and provide enormous economic benefits through ecotourism, medical research, and novel biotechnologies.
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Monitoring Need
Photo: Jordi Segers
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There are 47 bat species in the U.S. and Canada, more than half of which are of current conservation concern. Eight are listed as federally endangered. Despite the importance of bats and growing concern about their status, prior to 2015 there was no program to conduct standardized monitoring of bat species across multiple taxa in North America. Bats are notoriously difficult to monitor adding to the need for a coordinated effort.
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Spread of WNS
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease, was discovered in North America in the winter of 2006. The rapid spread of the disease and associated mortality further prioritized the need to understand population trends. Subsequently the U.S. WNS National Response Plan (2011) and the WNS Implementation Plan (2014) identified the need for a national framework to model and monitor bat populations. Members of the WNS Response Team's Conservation and Recovery working group developed A Plan for the North American Bat Monitoring Program.
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Multiple Threats
Photo: Paul Cryan
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It was evident among members of the bat research and management community that they were tackling similar issues. Because factors like WNS and wind turbines affect bat populations across political borders, it was determined that a comprehensive bat monitoring program for all species shared among the United States, Canada, and Mexico was required. By monitoring population and distribution trends across North America, NABat will not only provide information about the impacts of WNS, but also inform land managers and policymakers about the impacts of wind energy development, climate change, habitat loss, and other unanticipated threats that may arise in the future.
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