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Map showing the range of eastern red bats and all sampling locations. Only labeled locations (black dots) had sufficient sample sizes to be included in population-level analyses, and labels reflect two-letter state or province codes (two sampling locations within West Virginia are further labeled with the first two letters of the county to distinguish them). The range map source is the IUCN (http://www. iucnredlist.org/details/11347/0): Arroyo-Cabrales J, Miller B, Reid F, CuarónCuar´Cuarón AD, de Grammont PC. 2008. Lasiurus borealis. In IUCN 2014. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www. iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on November 5, 2013.
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Documented fatalities of bats at wind turbines have raised serious concerns about the future impacts of increased wind power development on populations of migratory bat species. However, for most bat species we have no knowledge of the size of populations and their demographic trends, the degree of structuring into discrete subpopulations, and whet...
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... of the population (that portion contributing genes to the next generation). Further, regular monitoring of N e might serve as a proxy for tracking changes in population size over Table 1 Sites sampled and diversity statistics for 16-locus microsatellite genotypes and mitochondrial HV2 sequences. Site labels represent two-letter state codes as in Fig. 1 time. Our study provides valuable data for understanding the population-level impacts of mortalities due to wind power for this migratory bat species by assessing whether there are discrete subpopulations that may represent independent management units and may undergo different migratory behavior, whether populations from different ...
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... to be resident) primarily between 2000 and 2006, for the purpose of assessing levels of genetic population structure and estimating N e (Table 1 and Table S1). We received tissue samples for 1-39 bats from any given site. We had sufficient sample size (N > 15) for each of 12 sites with which to carry out site-level population genetic analyses ( Fig. 1 and Table 1). Unlike colonial bats roosting in buildings or trees where bats can be captured in numbers from a single point location during a single sampling session, tree-roosting bats such as eastern red bats are solitary. Sampling these bats therefore must involve the capture of foraging individuals and may encompass individuals ...
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... vs. B1-B3 for 2010). For the current effective population size N 1 , we recovered generally consistent estimates on the order of 10 4 -10 5 (average N 1 ≈ 74,500). Estimates of ancestral effective population size N A were less consistent among runs, but did result in estimates ranging in the same order of magnitude as N 1 (average N A ≈ 194,300; Fig. S1). These analyses yielded differing signals of population growth vs. decline between runs (Table 5), although a majority of runs (8 of 11) support a model of population decline rather than growth. The time of this population size change (t) was also variable among runs, but generally was on the order of 10 3 -10 4 years (average t ≈ ...
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Documented fatalities of bats at wind turbines have raised serious concerns about the future impacts of increased wind power development on populations of migratory bat species. However, for most bat species we have no knowledge of the size of populations and their demographic trends, the degree of structuring into discrete subpopulations, and whet...
Citations
... The available data for these two species is limited to basic occurrence records, reproductive data, minimal genetic libraries, and disjunct regional studies (Cryan 2006, Solick et al. 2020). At the most basic level, there is substantial ambiguity regarding their distribution and speciation (Vonhof 2015;O'Shea & Bogan, 2003;Kunz et al. 2009). This study aimed to fill critical information gaps on the relationship and current distribution between L. borealis and L. frantzii for effective management and conservation going forward. ...
... Since high levels of gene flow was found in Eastern red bats, and little is known of Western red bat connectivity, the effects of wind turbines in one locality can affect red bats nationwide. indicating that monitoring and management should integrate curtailment across the entirety of their range (Korstian 2006, Murtaugh et al. 2019, Vonhof and Russell 2015. ...
... With these two observations, there is sufficient data to hypothesize that L. frantzii occupants in the West comprise multiple subpopulations with unknown connectivity and gene flow. As L. borealis have been hypothesized to be a single panmictic population(Korstian 2006, Sovick et al. 2016, Vonhof and Russell 2015, the variation seen in L. frantzii exemplifies that the two species are not only genetically distinct but largely different behaviorally from one another.Moving forward, we predict that sequencing the mitochondrial control region may be informative about genetic connections among distant roosts and migratory connections (Flemming 2019). In addition genomic approaches to population genetics could give us high quality results using less samples if capture is not as efficient or possible. ...
Several recent accounts of overlap and historic misidentifications regarding two species of the genus Lasiurus, Western red bat (Lasiurus frantzii) and Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), have cast doubt on our understanding of their distribution, assumed spatial allopatry, and interactions in the United States Southwest. With the use of morphometrics and genetic sequencing, utilizing tissue collected from specimens throughout California and adjoining states, we have reassessed the current distribution, best practices for field identification, and genetic differentiation between both species. Appropriate species classification by region was achieved utilizing mitochondrial DNA, targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, and genetic discrepancies were assessed through lower coverage whole genome sequencing (lcWGS). All samples included morphometrics and pelage records to identify possible congruence in segregating the species phenotypically. We have confirmed L. borealis in four counties in southern California, one county in northern California, and 1 county in southern Arizona, displaying sympatry between both L. frantzii and L. borealis in the west. The lcWGS results verified the high level of divergence and genetic segregation between both species indicating little to no hybridization potential. No conclusive morphometric differentiation could be distinguished through physical metrics, but pelage has proven to have consistent discrepancies by region. The extent of L. borealis in the Western United States seems limited to the southern most areas of each state in the Southwest, but more sampling will be necessary to infer their true extent. The results acquired from this study strengthens our limited understanding of this dynamic group by inferring on their basic biology, their distinctive characteristics, and altogether aid in future conservation and research.
... Historically, eastern red bats have not been of special conservation concern. However, they frequently die at wind power installations, and there is evidence that these mass mortality events are causing range-wide population declines in this species (Vonhof and Russell, 2015;Bombaci et al., 2021;Davy et al., 2021). While most of the protected bat species in North America are closed-space specialists, eastern red bats are edge specialists, with broadband, moderate-frequency echolocation calls and high wing loading, which makes them well suited for flying and capturing insects in semi-open to open spaces (Norberg and Rayner, 1987;Aldridge and Rautenbach, 1987). ...
Forests provide crucial foraging and roosting habitat to many bat species, and the gradual loss of forests is among the principal threats to global bat diversity. Forests that persist in the face of land use change are those that are managed for a variety of uses, including recreation, hunting, timber production, and wildlife conservation. Thus, understanding how bats respond to management is imperative to their conservation. We used radio telemetry to study the roosting and foraging behaviors of male and female eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis). These forest-dependent bats roost in the foliage of live trees and are declining across their range. We tracked 26 bats (7 males and 18 females; one female was tracked twice) from May to August 2017-2019 in two state forests in south-central Indiana, USA. We estimated space use with 95% kernel density estimates and used generalized linear and linear mixed models to assess resource selection and use at three levels: population-level foraging selection, individual-level foraging use, and population-level roost selection. On average, eastern red bats foraged over a relatively small area (81 ha) and traveled a maximum distance of 1404 m from their roosts. The eastern red bat population foraged near maintained openings, recent regeneration openings, roads, and ponds within the study area. Within their foraging ranges, eastern red bats spent more time foraging near roads, ponds, and ridges. Eastern red bats roosted near maintained openings, recent regeneration openings, and ponds, switching roosts every two days. Roost trees were larger than random trees and were in plots containing fewer live stems than random plots. Together, these results reveal that some of the most important landscape features for eastern red bats are linear corridors (e.g., roads or ridgetops), forest openings (e.g., maintained openings and recent regeneration openings), perennial sources of water (e.g., ponds), and large trees. Overall, eastern red bats exhibited strong selection for managed portions of the forest, suggesting they can coexist with and likely benefit from timber management. When considering habitat for eastern red bats in central hardwood forests, we recommend land managers work to maintain large tracts of mature (>90 years old) forest, interspersed with young regeneration openings and provisioned with perennial water sources (e.g., ponds).
... Migratory tree-roosting bats are more likely impacted by wind energy development than cave-hibernating species, however their population sizes are difficult to determine due to small roosts and dispersal across the landscape. The best current estimates from genetic analysis suggest the effective population size (size of the ideal population that would experience the same amount of genetic drift as the observed population) of the Eastern red bat is 100,000s-1,000,000s, the silver-haired bat is 100,000s, and the hoary bat is 1,000s-100,000s (Korstian et al. 2015, Vonhof & Russell 2015, Pylant et al. 2016, Sovic et al. 2016, Ammerman et al. 2019. Bat mortality data from wind energy development comes from land-based wind, however, as bats are also active offshore, inference from onshore can be applied to offshore. ...
Final workshop proceedings for the 2020 State of the Science Workshop on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy
... We detected 34 additional unique haplotypes, with eight being shared between the Chichester and Hamersley. Similar to other bat mtDNA studies (Vonhof and Russell, 2015;Rakotoarivelo et al., 2019;Collevatti et al., 2020;Menchaca et al., 2020), haplotype diversity was high (range = 1-0.89). Armstrong (2006) attributed the geographic pattern to female philopatry, rather than the lowlands of the Fortescue River valley acting a barrier to dispersal as bats can likely fly across it in many places (Armstrong, 2006). ...
... This contrasts with our hypothesis where we expected to find some evidence of restricted gene flow due to the limited distribution and availability of suitable roosts throughout the landscape and indicates Pilbara leaf-nosed bats have higher population connectivity than previously thought. Other studies on microbats using nuclear markers have reported high levels of gene flow and well connected populations in migratory (Chipps et al., 2020;Korstian et al., 2015;Vonhof and Russell, 2015), tropical island (Pinzari et al., 2020), and widely-occurring Australian tree-dwelling bat species (Fuller, 2013;Prada, 2020). Breeding behaviour, such as swarming during mating can also facilitate gene flow (Burns and Broders, 2015;Kerth et al., 2003), though it is unknown whether this phenomenon occurs in Pilbara leaf-nosed bats. ...
The bat fauna of Australia comprises some 25% of all terrestrial species, yet we know very little of the demography, dispersal, and movement dynamics of most bat species. The Pilbara leaf-nosed bat (Rhinonicteris aurantia Pilbara form) is a threatened microbat that roosts exclusively in caves that occur in mineral rich deposits in the Pilbara region. Due to their specific roost microclimate requirements these bats cannot survive for long without a suitable roost and are sensitive to roost disturbance. Understanding the connectivity of roosts throughout the Pilbara is crucial for informed decisions to mitigate potential impacts to persistence of this species in areas under economic development. Along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers, we used reduced representation genomic sequencing of over 150 individuals from eight roost sites throughout the Pilbara and tested for landscape-scale population differentiation associated with the two major subregions — the Hamersley and Chichester, as well as finer-scale among roost variation. We found evidence of high rates of dispersal and low population structure within the Pilbara, indicating one panmictic population, with mtDNA results suggesting evidence of some female philopatry. Our results highlight the ongoing need for detailed genetic studies to provide critical insight to species dispersal, particularly in multi-use landscapes. We discuss the importance of identifying and retaining connectivity of key habitat to maintain genetic diversity and gene flow throughout panmictic populations.
... The vagility of bats could effectively dissolve historical population structure as highly mobile species can experience a rapid loss of structure within a few generations (Landguth et al. 2010). Genetic admixture for species with large dispersal abilities has been shown in mountain goats (Wolf et al. 2020), minke whales (Quintela et al. 2014), and other bats (Vonhof and Russell 2015). ...
Loss of genetic diversity decreases fitness and increases risk of extinction. Therefore, understanding population genetic structure is important to conserving populations, especially those at risk. Several species of bats in Louisiana recently have been listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need, including Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis austroriparius, and the federally threatened Myotis septentrionalis. To characterize genetic diversity, heterozygosity and inbreeding coefficients were calculated using double-digest RADseq data obtained from 41 E. fuscus, 31 M. austroriparius, and 30 M. septentrionalis. Nonparametric (k-means and DAPC) and parametric (FastStructure and STRUCTURE) methods were implemented to ascertain the existence of population structure. Both nonparametric methods exhibited no clear population structure. FastStructure found no evidence of population structure and STRUCTURE estimated two genetic clusters for E. fuscus and M. austroriparius and three genetic clusters for M. sep-tentrionalis. Membership assignment to genetic clustering from STRUCTURE was not related to geography. Due to these inconsistencies, there is lack of support for recognizing more than one interbreeding population in Louisiana of any of the species examined. Evidence suggests the presence of inbreeding for all three species of bats, which could increase risk of extinction. Conservation of suitable habitat should be pursued to protect species of bats in Louisiana and further genetic studies should characterize and compare other species of bats not only in Loui-siana but also outside the state.
... Recent studies using population genetic approaches have elucidated patterns of genetic variation, identified potential barriers to gene flow, and estimated Ne for three migratory tree-roosting bats. For the eastern red bat, several studies have similarly concluded that Ne ranges from hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals, with no evidence of barriers to gene flow among groups of samples [68][69][70][71]. A recent study by Ammerman et al. [72] reported that 71% of parent/offspring groups in eastern red bats consisted of half siblings, which is to date, the highest level of multiple paternity documented for any species of bat. ...
Wind turbine-related mortality may pose a population-level threat for migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America. These species are dispersed within their range, making it impractical to estimate census populations size using traditional survey methods. Nonetheless, understanding population size and trends is essential for evaluating and mitigating risk from wind turbine mortality. Using various sampling techniques, including systematic acoustic sampling and genetic analyses, we argue that building a weight of evidence regarding bat population status and trends is possible to (1) assess the sustainability of mortality associated with wind turbines; (2) determine the level of mitigation required; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures to ensure population viability for these species. Long-term, systematic data collection remains the most viable option for reducing uncertainty regarding population trends for migratory tree-roosting bats. We recommend collecting acoustic data using the statistically robust North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols and that genetic diversity is monitored at repeated time intervals to show species trends. There are no short-term actions to resolve these population-level questions; however, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty.
... Several recent studies have used population genetic approaches to elucidate patterns of genetic variation, identify potential barriers to gene flow, and estimate Ne for three migratory treeroosting bats. For the eastern red bat, several studies estimating Ne have come to similar conclusions that the effective population size is in the hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals, with no evidence of barriers to gene flow among groups of samples (Korstian et al. 2015;Vonhof and Russell 2015;Pylant et al. 2016;Sovic et al. 2016). For eastern red bats killed at wind energy facilities in the central Appalachian Mountains of the United States, Pylant et al. (2016) found a large Ne reflecting a demographic expansion after a bottleneck with no evidence of population genetic structure. ...
... For eastern red bats killed at wind energy facilities in the central Appalachian Mountains of the United States, Pylant et al. (2016) found a large Ne reflecting a demographic expansion after a bottleneck with no evidence of population genetic structure. Similarly, Vonhof and Russell (2015) analyzed a data set of eastern red bats collected primarily in the eastern portion of their range and found no evidence for historical use of different migratory pathways and no evidence for barriers to gene flow among their sampling localities. Furthermore, estimates of Ne from this study were in the hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals from what the authors described as a single, panmictic population. ...
Through the systematic collection of acoustic and genetic data over time, a weight of evidence may be built regarding the population status and trends of bats. This report synthesizes the existing information related to bat populations, uncertainty regarding existing estimates, current and novel methods for assessing population-level data, and recommendations for near-term and long-term studies to reduce uncertainty surrounding population data.
... It is distributed as a very large panmictic population with virtually no distinct regional population structure (Korstian et al. 2015, Pylant et al. 2016. Migratory bats in general have high levels of gene flow and little population genetic structure (Burns and Broders 2014;Korstian et al. 2015;Vonhof and Russell 2015) compared with nonmigratory bats (Turmelle et al. 2011). Both Russell et al. (2015) and Baird et al. (2017) report unique mitochondrial haplotypes and nuclear gene variants found only in hoary bats inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands. ...
... cinereus), silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and eastern red bat (L. borealis) are genetically diverse across large regions of the continent but lack strong population structure (Korstian et al. 2015;Russell et al. 2015;Vonhof and Russell 2015;Pylant et al. 2016). Although the distances between adjacent Hawaiian Islands are relatively small, there may be no strong incentive for bats to move between islands to access resources for breeding and foraging, and bat genetic structure may mimic that of both endemic and introduced island birds. ...
We examine the genetic history and population status of Hawaiian Hoary bats (Lasiurus semotus), the most isolated bats on Earth, and their relationship to Northern Hoary bats (L. cinereus), through whole-genome analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapped to a de novo-assembled reference genome. Profiles of genomic diversity and divergence indicate that Hawaiian Hoary bats are distinct from Northern Hoary bats, and form a monophyletic group, indicating a single ancestral colonization event 1.34 Mya, followed by substantial divergence between islands beginning 0.51 Mya. Phylogenetic analysis indicates Maui is central to the radiation across the archipelago, with the southward expansion to Hawai'i and westward to O'ahu and Kaua'i. Because this endangered species is of conservation concern, a clearer understanding of the population genetic structure of this bat in the Hawaiian Islands is of timely importance.
... IMa2 uses isolation with migration models (Hey and Nielsen 2004;Nielsen and Wakeley 2001) to estimate divergence time, population size and gene flow between multiple populations given a known phylogeny (Hey and Nielsen 2007;Hey 2010;Knoblauch et al. 2017). These two programs have been used to decipher the evolution of organisms as varied as conifers, cavefish, bats, butterflies, and fungi (Fumey et al. 2018;Kunte et al. 2011;Shang et al. 2015;Stukenbrock et al. 2007;Vonhof and Russell 2015). ...
Angular Leaf Spot (ALS), caused by the fungus Pseudocercospora griseola, is an important disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Previous studies demonstrated that P. griseola and Phaseolus vulgaris have co-evolved, resulting in the classification of the fungus into Middle American and Andean populations that reflect the evolutionary history of the host. However, an unusual group of P. griseola isolates found in Africa, termed Afro-Andean, was previously found to be pathogenic on Middle American cultivars. This study evaluated the diversity of P. griseola isolates from four countries and confirmed the existence of an Afro-Andean clade using molecular methods. A total of 171 P. griseola isolates from Puerto Rico, Honduras, Guatemala and Tanzania were evaluated. Sequence from four nuclear genes (β-tubulin, actin, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA, and the small subunit rRNA gene) were used to construct phylogenetic trees by Bayesian inference. Phylogenetic trees grouped all isolates from Puerto Rico (43), Honduras (25) and Guatemala (14) in the Middle American clade. Of the 89 Tanzanian isolates, 37 were Middle American and 40 Andean, and a third population with 12 isolates was identified as Afro-Andean. Models using isolation with migration estimated that the divergence between Middle American and Andean P. griseola populations occurred approx. 100,000 years ago, and that the Afro-Andean clade is a sister clade of the Andean population that diverged approx. 40,000 years ago. The results provide an understanding of the co-evolution of beans and the ALS pathogen, and help inform current and future bean breeding efforts.
... Low molecular weight or fragmented DNA is often sufficient for targeted approaches, including gene amplification via PCR and short-read sequencing 13 . PCR-based investigations using LMW DNA that target only one or a few genes have been highly informative in understanding adaptation and the molecular evolution of bat sensory biology 6,14 , physiology 15 , phylogenetics 5,16 , and conservation 17,18 . Successful targeted sequence recapture of low molecular weight and fragmented DNA has also been demonstrated for numerous vertebrate groups, including bats 19 . ...
