BAT acoustic surveys and white-nose syndrome monitoring on the navajo nationproject period: 5/11/2022-7/1/2024THE purpose of this award is to fund BAT monitoring and surveillance efforts on the navajo…

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) will receive $131,431.13 through a Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Geological Survey under the Cooperative Research Units program (CFDA 15.812) to conduct bat acoustic surveys and white-nose syndrome monitoring on the Navajo Nation in Arizona from May 11, 2022 through July 1, 2024.

Under this award, Virginia Tech researchers will perform broad landscape-level acoustic surveys year-round to determine bat species distributions, seasonal habitat use, and establish baseline activity levels. Researchers will also conduct harp-trapping and mist-netting surveys in the spring around caves and mines to capture bats and test for the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus, which causes white-nose syndrome. Acoustic and cave-netting data will be provided to the North American Bat Monitoring Program for nationwide monitoring. Spatially explicit habitat suitability maps will also be developed for individual bat species to support natural resource planning on the Navajo Nation. No subrecipients are anticipated under this cooperative agreement.

BAT acoustic surveys and white-nose syndrome monitoring on the navajo nationproject period: 5/11/2022-7/1/2024THE purpose of this award is to fund BAT monitoring and surveillance efforts on the navajo nation in arizona. The southwestern portion of the united states contains some of the highest BAT species diversity in the nation, yet most aspects of BAT community composition, BAT distribution and BAT habitat associations are unknown. Acquisition of these data are critical before white-nose syndrome becomes endemic to the area whereby managers can assess population and distribution changes (if they occur) and proactively engage in habitat management efforts that benefit bats. To achieve this, researchers from the virginia unit will conduct broad landscape-level acoustic surveys year-round to determine by individual BAT species, seasonality and habitat associations, as well as provide a baseline per species of pre-disease "normal" activity. Secondly, harp-trap and mist-netting surveys will be used in the spring emergence season around caves and mines to capture bats and test them for the presence of pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. Both acoustic and cave-netting data will also be provided to nabat so that nationwide-distribution and population level monitoring can incorporate this region. IT is expected that BAT distribution and habitat associations with differ by species, seasons and habitat configurations, i.e., proximity to riparian habitats, forests, desert and alpine communities. Spatially explicit data layers of occupied and predicted habitat suitability by individual BAT species will be generated that will have utility for natural resource planning and management activities. The intended beneficiaries are the navajo nation, the bureau of indian affairs, the bureau of land management, the national park service, the U.S. Geological survey, the U.S. Forest service and arizona game and fish department. No subrecipient activities are anticipated. Seasonal technicians from the navajo nation will be term virginia tech employees.