Landscape-scale Drivers of Bat Acoustic Activity in the Interior Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States

Zackary W. Isenhour^1,*, Katherine M. Gorman¹, Megan L. Moran¹, Hila Taylor¹, and W. Mark Ford²

¹Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 149 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061. ²U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 106 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061. ^*Corresponding author.

Journal of North American Bat Research, Volume 4 (2026):1–15

Abstract
We assessed foraging-habitat associations at the landscape scale for 9 bat species in Maryland and Pennsylvania, U.S.A, from a multi-year perspective. Trends in landscape use included greater acoustic activity of Eptesicus fuscus along forest-field edges, rather than within forested habitats, and greater activity of Lasiurus borealis in xeric forests, rather than hydric/mesic conditions relative to aspect. Additionally, no species had a meaningful relationship with McNab’s Landform Index. Our results also demonstrated that activity of most species was consistent over the survey period, although some counts were extremely low and attributable, in part, to previous population reductions from white-nose syndrome. Activity levels of E. fuscus, M. lucifugus, M. septentritableonalis, M. sodalis, and Perimyotis subflavus appeared related to the annual reproductive cycle, i.e., pregnancy, lactation, and volancy of pups. Our study indicates that, while activity patterns were generally consistent across years and regions, species-specific responses vary among regions and over time, highlighting the need for multi-year locally focused bat research.

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