The Plight of Bats in North America: Modifying Habitat to Improve Bat Diversity

Worldwide bats play an essential role in the ecosystems they inhabit. The use of pesticides, large scale wind power plants, and habitat degradation has all led to a decline in native bat populations (Jones et al. 93). As natural roosting locations continue to be destroyed or otherwise disturbed by humans, local bats are left with even fewer quality roosting locations. North American bats are also dealing with the novel disease known as White Known Syndrome, which has caused massive fatalities as well as local extinctions in native bats. This is a fungal pathogen that attacks bats while they are in a torpor state, and ultimately results in the death of the bat host. As bat populations continue to decrease there is potential for major economic impacts to the agricultural industry, many of the insects bats prey on we consider agricultural pests. It is believed that habitat modifications are one solution to bolster locals bat populations. This project aims to identify, as well as implement ways habitat modifications can be used to increase bat diversity at a local level