NABat collaborators published the article, "NABat: A top-down, bottom-up solution to collaborative continental-scale monitoring," in the journal Ambio. In the publication, the authors highlight the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) as an example of successful large-scale biological monitoring. The authors describe the difficulties inherent to broad-scale monitoring efforts, such as the conflict between ensuring data consistency and addressing the diverse local-scale research needs of partners. The publication outlines the ways in which NABat has balanced those requirements by providing a flexible sampling design enabling multi-scale analyses, establishing regional monitoring hubs to provide guidance and coordination, and developing robust web-based infrastructure for project planning and data contribution. The authors also provide recent examples of successful integration of local-scale questions into the broader goal of assessing the range-wide status and trends of North American bats. NABat's master sample, a probabilistic sample design, reduces the required sampling effort while ensuring statistically robust analyses. Integration of local research needs with continent-wide conservation questions is key to the long-term success of any such large-scale monitoring effort.
Reichert, B.E., M. Bayless, T.L. Cheng, J.T.H. Coleman, C.M. Francis, W.E. Frick, B.S. Gotthold, K.M. Irvine, C. Lausen, H. Li, S.C. Loeb, J.D. Reichard, T.J. Rodhouse, J.L. Segers, J.L. Siemers, W.E. Thogmartin, and T.J. Weller. 2021. NABat: A top-down, bottom-up solution to collaborative continental-scale monitoring. Ambio.