Roost selection by bats in buildings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

ABSTRACT

Bats roosting in buildings are a challenge for wildlife managers because of their conservation needs, capacity to transmit disease, and potential to damage structures. An understanding of roost selection by bats in buildings is important for effective management but was lacking in the southeastern United States. During 2015 and 2016, we surveyed 140 buildings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, USA for bats, identifying 48 roost sites and detecting 5 species. We compared the microclimate conditions, building features, and habitat patch characteristics of buildings used and unused by bats using an information-theoretic approach. Averaged parameter estimates from logistic regression models developed with survey data indicated bat presence was more likely in old buildings with dark conditions surrounded by low road density. Of all roost buildings surveyed, 65.9% were accessed regularly by tourists and 68.2% were managed as historical structures. We present alternative management strategies that may be implemented to ensure human health and safety and preserve historical sites while protecting bats during the reproductive period. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.