Bat Acoustic and Roost Surveys with ODNR

Ohio mobile bat acoustic surveys have taken place since 2011 and currently consist of 42 routes in 41 counties. Surveys began after white-nose syndrome (WNS) was discovered in a hibernaculum in Lawrence County, Ohio. This disease has killed an estimated six million bats in the United States and Canada since 2007 (USFWS, 2012). The goal of this project was to non-invasively monitor the summer bat populations in Ohio and determine the negative effects (e.g. population declines and loss of species diversity) that WNS may be having statewide. Because bats are the primary predator of night-flying insects, they are incredibly important to the ecosystem and for agriculture by reducing pesticide loads and crop damage. Bats are estimated to save around $3.7 billion dollars each year for the agriculture industry. Mobile bat acoustic surveys allow the Division of Wildlife to determine if winter declines are consistent in the summer populations. Survey results are compared annually to monitor changes in bat abundance along each route. (Read full report here)
 
 
Click here to learn more about getting involved with bat surveys with ODNR!
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