Geology topics

Megan L. Moran

Publications and source records attributed to Megan L. Moran.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Landscape-scale drivers of bat acoustic activity in the interior mid-Atlantic

We assessed the landscape scale foraging habitat associations from a multi-year perspective using generalized linear mixed models for nine bat species using bat detectors in the interior mid-Atlantic region of Maryland and Pennsylvania, United States. The landscape use trends we detected included greater Eptesicus fuscus acoustic activity along field edges than in forested habitats, and greater Lasiurus borealis acoustic activity in xeric conditions rather than hydric/mesic conditions relative to aspect. Additionally, no bat species had a meaningful relationship with McNab’s Landform Index, atypical for Myotis septentrionalis. Our results also demonstrate that most bat species’ acoustic activity were stable over years though some counts were extremely low, attributable in part to population reductions from white-nose syndrome. We also observed variation of bat activity on the landscape throughout the active season. Eptesicus fuscus, M. lucifugus, M. septentrionalis, M. sodalis, and Perimyotis subflavus acoustic activity levels over the active season appear to be related to the annual reproductive cycle, i.e., pregnancy, lactation, and volancy of pups. Our study is indicative that bat acoustic activity can vary between regions and years, highlighting the need for more multi-year, locally focused research of bats.

Maryland, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2026

Relative activity of three bat species Impacted by white-nose syndrome on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

White-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal-pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans , has caused drastic reductions in populations of several North American hibernating species of bats including Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat), Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). Recent data indicate that populations of Little Brown Bats may be stabilizing and/or increasing in the northeastern region of the US, while others, such as Northern Long-eared Bats, continue to decline. Whether these trends extend to the mid-Atlantic region is currently unknown. To better understand population changes over time, habitat associations, and species dynamics, we developed models of relative activity from bat acoustic data collected on the National Park Service's Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park along the Potomac River Corridor in western Maryland between 2016 and 2022. Consistent with pre-disease habitat associations, Little Brown Bats and Tricolored Bats exhibited a positive correlation with proximity to water bodies. Notably, we found Little Brown Bat and Tricolored Bat populations potentially were increasing, whereas Northern Long-eared Bats showed no correlation with examined habitat covariates and had low detection levels, trends consistent with broader declines throughout their range.

Maryland↗

USGS2023

Oral Sampling of little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) maternity colonies for SARS-CoV-2 in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, USA

T he potential introduction of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, into North American bat populations is of interest to wildlife managers due to recent disease-mediated declines of several species. Populations of little brown bats ( Myotis lucifugus ) have collapsed due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the introduction and spread of the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd ). Throughout much of the United States and southern Canada, large colonies of the species routinely established diurnal roosts in anthropogenic structures, thereby creating the potential for direct human contact and cross-species disease transmission. Given recent declines and the potential for further disease impacts, we collected oral swabs from eight little brown bat maternity colonies to assess the presence and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR analysis. Little brown bat colonies in Maryland ( n = 1), New Hampshire ( n = 1), New Jersey ( n = 2), New York ( n = 1), Rhode Island ( n = 2), and Virginia ( n = 1) were taken during May-August, 2022. From 235 assayed individuals, no bat tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Our results indicate that little brown bats may not contract SARS-CoV-2 or that the virus persists at undetectable levels in populations of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast during summer months. Nonetheless, continued monitoring and future work addressing other seasons may still be warranted to conclusively determine infection status.

Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rho↗