Community structure and habitat use by forest-dwelling bats in southwestern British Columbia
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2004
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Abstract
Bat species diversity and distribution vary with climate and with behaviour of sexes and reproductive classes. Furthermore, a bat's ability to deal with habitat structural complexity is influenced by body size, wing morphology and echolocation-call structure. I examined factors influencing community structure and habitat use of forest-dwelling bats among forests of different biogeoclimatic ecosystem zones and ages in southwestern British Columbia, using mistnetting and ultrasonic detection. Species composition varied with ecosystem zone, but not consistently between sampling techniques. Both ecosystem zone and forest age influenced habitat use by Myotis species. Black cottonwood stands and lower elevation forests were important for foraging Myotis. Older forests were more important to foraging Myotis species than young and medium-aged forests; however, foraging bats strongly preferred riparian areas. Habitat use by species of large bats did not follow clear patterns among ecosystem zones or forest ages, and results suggest that they may avoid forest interiors.
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Bibliography: p. 141-156
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Luszcz, T. M. (2004). Community structure and habitat use by forest-dwelling bats in southwestern British Columbia (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/20891