Wind Project Siting & Environ. Compliance 2018

POSTER: Modeling Indiana Bat Population Densities in the Midwest and Ozark-Central Recovery Units: Implications for Regional Development

20 Mar 18
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Tracks: Bat Policy, Biology, and Permits, Poster Presentation

Speaker(s): Drew Carson, Bat Biologist and Project Manager, SWCA Environmental Consultants

In July of 2017, the USFWS released a status update on the population of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). These estimates are based primarily on winter counts at 229 hibernacula across 17 states, wherein biologists document numbers of Indiana bats. Though these data contain inherent error, they represent the best available data on winter distribution of Indiana bats. 90% of the known Indiana bat population hibernates in only 10 hibernacula, all of which are within the Midwest and Ozark-Central Indiana bat recovery units. SWCA has combined these updated winter census data with known patterns of Indiana bat migration to develop a graphical representation of population densities within these recovery units. The goal of this map is to provide wind energy developers insight into the distribution of Indiana bats within the region, rather than the simple binary “in or out” determination afforded by traditional range maps.