B08 Solicitation_Attach 1 - SOW NABat.pdf

RFQ #140P6220Q0015 ATTACHMENT 1

Scope of Work

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Surveys at Ozark National Scenic Riverways

I. Introduction

A. Ozark National Scenic Riverways (OZAR) will contract for the following services:

1. Initial implementation of NABat surveys at OZAR in accordance to 2015 Plan for North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat);

2. Development of a NABat Standard Operating Implementation Procedures (SOP) manual specific to OZAR implementation; and

3. Implement passive roost monitoring at specific sites within OZAR.

B. Two approaches to acoustic surveying will be used, which are stationary point surveys and mobile transects. Stationary point surveys involve bat detectors placed for multiple nights at various features across the landscape. Mobile transects are usually conducted with a bat detector fixed to the roof of a vehicle that is driven slowly along a predetermined route. Resulting call files of sufficient quality will be identified to species or species group using at least two methods. Response variables will be detection/ non-detection of each species for both mobile transects and stationary point surveys and the number of bat passes per species along a given transect for mobile transects. In addition, indices of activity can be calculated for stationary point surveys that may be valuable indicators in future analyses. NABat surveys will be performed on three, 10- by 10-km grid cells determined in coordination with OZAR Natural Resource Program Manager (NRPM). NABat grid cell numbers to be used are 5999, 10095, and 1775. Contractor is responsible for providing all acoustic equipment, materials and supplies per NABat Monitoring Protocol. Contractor has the option to utilize OZAR’s Anabat Walkabout and Anabat Express detectors (one each) for this project.

II. Acoustic Surveyor Qualification Requirements. Contracted acoustic surveyor qualification requirements are as follows:

A. Acoustic surveyors should have either completed one or more of the available bat acoustic courses/workshops (e.g., BCM, ERM, Titley/AnaBat, Wildlife Acoustics, USFWS) or be able to show similar on-the-job or academic experience.

B. Detector Deployment: Acoustic surveyors should have a working knowledge of the acoustic equipment. Surveyors should be able to identify appropriate detector placement sites and establish those sites in the areas that are most suitable for recording high-quality calls.

Thus, it is highly recommended that all potential acoustic surveyors attend appropriate training and have experience in the proper placement of their field equipment.

C. Acoustic Analysis: Acoustic surveyors should have a working knowledge of the approved acoustic analysis programs.

D. Qualitative Analysis: Individuals qualified to conduct qualitative analysis of acoustic bat calls typically have experience: (1) gathering known calls. This provides a valuable resource in understanding how bat calls change and the variation present in them; (2) identifying bat calls recorded in numerous habitat types; (3) familiarity with the species likely to be encountered within the project area; and (4) individuals must have multiple years (at least 5 years) of experience and must have stayed current with qualitative ID skills. A resume (or similar documentation) must be submitted along with final acoustic survey reports for anyone making final qualitative identifications.

E. Approved Data Partner Status. Contractor will have the approved data partner status by NABat in order to upload data successfully.

III. NABat Stationary Point Acoustic Survey Protocols

A. Types of Detectors. Any detector type can be used if it is capable of recording in full spectrum mode, capable of recording continuously for the required number of nights, detecting species anticipated to be present in the region that can be detected acoustically, and each bat file is georeferenced.

B. Site Selection and the Influence of Clutter on Bat Echolocation

1. Detectors should be placed in locations that maximize the number and quality of recordings. In areas with heterogeneous habitats suitable for bats, detectors should be placed to maximize the diversity of species likely to be detected. Whenever possible, one detector should be placed in each 5- by 5-km quadrant of each cell/grid far enough apart to serve as spatial replicates. Site selection for deployment of detectors can affect the quantity and quality of echolocation calls recorded. Site selection will be in coordination with OZAR NRPM.

2. If the habitat within a grid cell is more homogeneous, fewer detectors (minimum of two) may be sufficient to capture the potential bat diversity in the cell. However, if the surveyor is not familiar with the area or the bat community, we suggest setting up three or four detectors to ensure capturing as much of the species diversity in the area as possible.

C. Weather Accountability. When possible, surveys should be conducted when weather conditions are optimal for bat activity: (1) seasonally warm temperatures, (2) low wind, and (3) little or no rain. Contractor is responsible for weatherproofing all equipment.

D. Frequency and Timing of Surveys. Surveys should be conducted during the summer active period prior to the young becoming volant. The most appropriate dates for the surveys will during June and July and no later than July 31, 2020. Associated driving transects should be conducted while the stationary points are being surveyed. Detectors should run the entire night, from 15 minutes prior to sunset to 15 minutes after sunrise, for a minimum of four nights.

IV. Mobile Acoustic Transect Survey Protocols

A. Types of Detectors

1. Any detector type can be used if it is capable of recording in full spectrum mode, capable of recording continuously for the required number of nights, detecting species anticipated to be present in the region that can be detected acoustically, and each bat file is georeferenced. Time expansion recorders cannot be used for mobile transects.

2. Detectors used for mobile transects should have a directional microphone (either by design or by using a housing or shield) to minimize road noise and reflections off the top of the vehicle. Each bat file that is submitted to NABat must be georeferenced, so the detector must also be able to record the location of each bat file.

B. Route Selection. All roads will be selected in coordination with the OZAR NRPM.

Roads are two-lane secondary or tertiary roads with few if any stops. The routes will be driven by OZAR staff prior to first survey to verify safety and achievability. It is recommended the contractor do the same to become familiar with the route. Route should be driven at 20 miles per hour with minimal stopping. Drivers should use their hazard lights to warn others of their slow speed. Headlights should always be used while driving the transect. It should be determined if the gravel roads will be too noisy at the start. If there are no other non-gravel road options, then the driving route can be dropped from the scope of work.

C. Route Configuration Routes

1. Routes are approximately 15 to 30 miles in length and fit primarily within the 100-km2 grid cell. The surveyor should maintain a speed of approximately 20 miles per hour as consistently as possible throughout the survey period. If a stop is required, the detector should be paused and this should be noted.

2. The route should not cross back into the likely travel route of a bat, as this may result in the same bat being counted more than once. Sections of the route should be >100 m from each other if the route contains many curves or switchbacks. The route should pass through common habitat types of the area as much as possible. Depending on the location, this may include agricultural areas, forests, wetlands, and residential areas and small towns if traffic is not too congested.

D. Equipment Setup. Detectors can be mounted on the vehicle in a variety of ways. It is suggested that the bat detector be oriented straight up. Although the microphone can be also pointed down to receive reflected signals off the roof of the car. Once an orientation is selected (i.e., up or down), it should be used consistently throughout the survey period. Because mobile transects should not be conducted during poor weather, weatherproofing is not necessary and should not be used, as it can reduce microphone sensitivity.

E. Frequency and Timing of Surveys

1. Surveys should be conducted twice during the maternity season to allow estimates of detection probability. Both surveys should be conducted within a week if possible, to reduce violations of the closure assumptions in the proposed analytical models. The most appropriate dates for the surveys will during June and July and no later than July 31, 2020.

2. Surveys should begin 45 minutes after sunset. Driving should commence as soon as the detectors are set to “Record,” and detectors should be stopped as soon as the end of the transect is reached. The equipment should be tested by rubbing fingers or jangling keys in front of the microphone immediately prior to the beginning of the transect run and just before the detector is shut off. This allows surveyors to determine if the equipment was functional throughout the survey, especially if no bats are recorded at the end of the transect. Surveys should occur on nights when there is no rain or fog, low wind speed (< ~6 miles per hour), and, if possible, during a new or quarter moon. Wet roads and puddles can affect quality of calls recorded because of increased road noise from tires.

F. Marking the Route. The route should be recorded with a GPS and submitted as metadata in the NABat Bat Population Database (BPD). BPD as an ArcGIS® shapefile. In addition, the latitude/longitude of each acoustic file should be recorded and embedded in the file itself, if possible. The start and end GPS locations should also be recorded and submitted. As with all GPS utilities, the time zone needs to be set to ensure the times match those of the study area, and GPS and bat detector times should be synchronized each night the transect is surveyed.

G. Covariates and Ancillary Data. Bat activity and habitat use can be affected by a large variety of factors including habitat type, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind, and moonlight. It is critical that a number of variables be recorded during the surveys and submitted with the data in the BPD. Contractor should review the 2015 Plan for NABat Program, specifically Chapter 8 to determine what data should be collected and a datasheet example.

V. Species Identification

A. Species Identification of Acoustic Recordings

1. Contractor will be responsible for identifying acoustic recordings to species.

Species identification of all acoustic files is conducted according to the guidelines outlined in the 2015 Plan for NABat Program. The level of expertise of the person(s) conducting the identification must be documented at the time of submission of data into the Bat Population Database (BPD). Files that are identified to species from auto-ID programs should be visually reviewed and verified by experienced personnel whenever possible, as this has been shown to successfully remove false positive identifications and allow the addition of species missed by the auto-ID program. Because of variation in quality of recordings, the influence of clutter, and the changing performances of software packages over time, manual verification is currently recommended for, at minimum, unexpected classifications.

2. The National Park Service defines “data management” as encompassing the full process from data collection to long-term maintenance, that is, from the beginning when the bat acoustic data and associated metadata are collected in the field to how the acoustic data are processed, analyzed and archived in the office. Whereas, “metadata” is the general field data that is collected with any survey, which can include date, who conducted the survey, latitude and longitude, detector serial numbers, and habitat descriptions. Management of data for such a large monitoring effort requires meticulous implementation of quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures to maintain overall data integrity. For instance, during the field data collection process, it is imperative that field personnel record the corresponding detector serial number and memory card identification number on the datasheet to associate the correct metadata with the bat acoustic data and, in turn, Bat Hub staff use detector log files to verify this information as well as to verify the proper functioning of the detector. Other QA/QC procedures pertaining to the metadata include conducting GIS mapping exercises to verify spatial data.

B. Process of Species Identification

1. The goal of the acoustic analysis is to identify as many files as possible to the species level. When identification is possible, files should be classified as narrowly as possible;

for example, files may be classified to one of two species [e.g., big brown (Eptesicus fuscus) or silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) to EPFU/LANO], or broader categories when necessary [e.g., Low frequency bat (LowF)].

2. It is recommended that at least two methods be used to identify files to species.

Analysis of acoustic recordings can be done in several ways, combining automatic species-identification (auto-ID) software and manual identification as appropriate. The advantage of using an auto-ID software package is that the data are analyzed objectively. Four auto-ID programs are currently available for North American bats within the scope of NABat and include:

a. Sonobat™ (www.sonobat.com),

b. Bat Call Identification (BCID) (http://www.batcallid.com/allsoftware.html),

c. Kaleidoscope® Pro (http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/kaleidoscope-software), and http://www.sonobat.com/ http://www.batcallid.com/allsoftware.html http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/kaleidoscope-software

d. Echoclass (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/mammals/inba/surveys/inbaAcousticSo ftware.html).

Currently, all four programs can be used to identify species found in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.

3. Files that are identified to species from auto-ID programs should be visually reviewed and verified by experienced personnel whenever possible. A species list for OZAR will be provided to contractor. If a bat that is not known to reside in the recording area is identified through an auto-ID program, files of this unexpected species need to be manually verified. Data and information are managed so that they can be easily found and compiled, are subjected to full quality control before release, and are accompanied by complete metadata. The general procedure used in analysis of recordings should accompany the data when submitted to the BPD. See the 2015 Plan for NABat Program for more specific information and protocols.

VI. Deliverables

A. Geographic Information System Support. Grid cells that are dropped and replaced with grid cells further down on the list must be recorded as such. The criteria used to justify replacing units must be recorded as well.

B. Datasheets and Applications. Standardized datasheets for collecting colony count and acoustic data for the NABat program will be provided in a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet format.

C. NABat Data Transfer Protocol to NABat and OZAR

1. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (nabatmonitoring.org) and its Partner Portal (https://sciencebase.usgs.gov/nabat/#/home) will be the primary repository of data. Data will be uploaded to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways NABat Project. The OZAR NABat Project will be set up by the NRPM in order to allow access of data by the contractor and determine when all data has been successfully uploaded.

2. Contractor will also prepare and provide all data to the ONSR NRPM along with final Survey Protocol as outlined below:

a. If using paper datasheets, scan and back them up to an external hard-drive along with the acoustic data and photos. Label the copied folder with a Location ID system as follows: Grid Number followed by quadrant section (e.g. 106544_NE1).

b. If using Survey123 or Collector, ensure form has been synced.

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/mammals/inba/surveys/inbaAcousticSoftware.html http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/mammals/inba/surveys/inbaAcousticSoftware.html https://sciencebase.usgs.gov/nabat/#/home

c. If sending the CF Cards used during monitoring, copy photos and scanned datasheets to the CF Card containing the acoustic data for the associated detector location. If sending other media (e.g., thumb drive, external hard-drive) besides the CF Cards used during monitoring, the following folder structure should be followed when copying and organizing the data: 26 Sample Unit ID (106544) Location ID (106544_NE1) – includes datasheet, photo, and acoustic data recorded at this detector location ID (106544_NW1) Location ID (106544_SE1) Location ID (106544_SW1).

d. Species Occurrence Summary: Develop a list of the species documented at each sampled grid cell(s) or detector location(s) based on the final analyzed data.

D. Long-term Roost Bat Surveys and Report

1. In addition to the NABat surveys, contractor will also establish passive surveys.

ONSR NRPM will designate 3-4 locations throughout OZAR. These areas represent high priority locations as they will be related to future/planned projects where in which bat species data will be critical in guiding park management decisions. The duration for this component of passive sampling will be two months. Park staff will check/monitor equipment every two weeks to ensure battery life/replacement needs (batteries to be provided by contractor), functionality and continued presence. Upon completion of two months, Park staff agree to collect all detectors from the field and send back to the contractor (paid by contractor).

2. All acoustic data will be analyzed by contractor to identify as many files as possible to the species level. Data analysis and reporting information should be done in compliance with USFWS guidelines/recommendations.

E. NABat Survey Implementation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for OZAR. The SOP will serve park staff as a guiding document on how to replicate this study in 2020 in order to maintain consistency from year to year. This document will outline/describe all protocols used to include, but not limited to the following: how the survey was conducted, extensive equipment list required for each survey type, pictures of equipment be set-up, habitat types, dates surveys were conducted, downloading data, uploading data to BPD, lessons learned and/or recommendations for future surveys, etc.

In addition to the NABat survey protocol, this document will also include a separate section detailing the protocols used in establishing long-term passive monitoring sites to include the same components outlined for NABat surveys standards.

VII. Due Dates of Deliverables and other Reporting Requirements

A. August 15, 2020 – DRAFT OZAR NABat Survey Implementation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is due to OZAR NRPM for review. The Final SOP will be due 30 days after receipt of NPS review comments, approximate due date September 20, 2020.

B. September 1, 2020 – All NABat data is successfully uploaded through the NABat Partner Portal (https://sciencebase.usgs.gov/nabat/#/home) to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways NABat Project.

C. October 15, 2020 – Final Accomplishment Report is due to OZAR NRPM. The accomplishment report is a short abstract (no more than 300 words) of work completed during the entire project.

D. Long-term passive survey data and comprehensive report provided to OZAR NRPM, 2 months after detectors are returned and/or received by contractor.

E. Submission for payment will be made in one (1) installment upon completion of contract.

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https://sciencebase.usgs.gov/nabat/#/home