This grant will be subawarded to the university of oklahoma, to conduct a 3-year survey of the presence, relative abundance, and health status of BAT communities in southeastern oklahoma, with an…

This $171,980.84 federal Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service under the State Wildlife Grants (CFDA 15.634) program will fund a 3-year survey of bat communities in southeastern Oklahoma. The grant will be sub-awarded to the University of Oklahoma to:

• Re-survey 11 sites and add 2 new sites to assess the presence, relative abundance, and health status of bat species of greatest conservation need, some of which were last surveyed nearly 30 years ago. The project will utilize mist-netting, acoustic monitoring, and sample collection to develop estimates of site occupancy, detectability, and community changes over the 30-year period.

• Conduct laboratory analyses to identify blood parasites, coronaviruses, and the fungus causing white-nose syndrome in the bat populations. Most bats will be released after processing, with up to 2 individuals per species per site vouchered as historical records.

The goal is to provide critical data to inform conservation planning and management strategies for declining bat species in the region. This project directly supports the objectives of the State Wildlife Grants program to benefit species of greatest conservation need identified in state Wildlife Action Plans.

This grant will be subawarded to the university of oklahoma, to conduct a 3-year survey of the presence, relative abundance, and health status of BAT communities in southeastern oklahoma, with an emphasis on species of greatest conservation need (sgcn). This project will focus on RE-surveying 11 sites where 5 species of scgn bats were previously documented as part of an ESA section 6 program nearly 30 years ago, as well as an additional 2 sites, based upon consultation with odwc. Mist-netting efforts similar to previous sampling strategies will be supplemented with acoustic monitoring, to develop a robust estimate for site occupancy and detectability of BAT species, as well as estimates for community change during the 30-year interval. Bats will be processed to collect morphological and reproductive data, as well as a wing punches, guano, and samples for identification of disease and health status. Most bats will be released after processing, but up to two individuals per species site will be vouchered for non-federally threatened or endangered to provide a historical record. Laboratory analyses will assess the presence and prevalence of blood parasites, coronaviruses, and pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, and underlying health indicators.