Urban bat ecology in the Metro Vancouver region

Bats often use urban areas, but ecologists lack understanding of where they roost and forage. Bats are important predators on insect pests, including mosquitoes, so understanding their requirements is important. This need is made more critical by the likely imminent spread of an exotic fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome, which is often lethal to bats. Our proposed work will support a MSc student who will examine summer roosts in the Metro Vancouver region. We will record bat numbers and reproduction, and the environments in different roosts; these data will help us to identify the most important roosts in the region. Our partner, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, has identified this research as a high priority part of their conservation plans for bats of western Canada. Our results will be broadly disseminated to researchers, government managers, and local non-profit groups interested in bats.

Faculty Supervisor:

Karen Hodges

Student:

Leah Rensel

Partner:

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

Discipline:

Visual arts

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Program: