[NatureNS] Blomidon Naturalists Society Regular Monthly Meeting: Maritime Bats

From: Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@Dal.Ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>, members@blomidonnaturalists.ca
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 17:15:02 -0400
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Population Biology and Impending Issues of Conservation and Management  
of Maritime Bats by Dr. Hugh Broders.

[NOTE: This presentation was originally scheduled for last fall, but  
was canceled due to the valley-wide power outage. The presentation  
will take place in the basement auditorium of the Irving Environmental  
Science Centre, Acadia University.]

Bat species that are year-round residents of temperate areas like Nova  
Scotia have a number of interesting characteristics in common.   
Despite their small size they have a life expectancy of decades, have  
low reproductive rates, are highly social and are active for only  
25-30% of the year.  Over the last decade or so my students and I have  
been trying to better understand the resource selection, movement  
dynamics and population structure of this group of animals.  In this  
talk I will discuss bat population biology, what we know about bats in  
the region and finally talk about a major impending threat to our bat  
populations: white nose syndrome.  White nose syndrome is the name  
given to the condition of bats that are affected by a fungus that  
grows on the nose of bats that was first documented in the winter of  
2005/06 and has since wiped out millions of bats in the northeastern  
United States and Canada.  Based on the rate of spread of the  
condition is seems unlikely that the Maritimes will be spared from It  
ravaging effects.  If the fungus makes its way to our region and the  
local effects are consistent with those documented in the northeastern  
US, we can expect to lose up to 95% of our bats in the first few  
years, if not more.  I hope these predictions are wrong but regardless  
we are in for a challenging time!

Dr. Broders works at the Department of Biology at St. Mary's  
University. Originally from Tilting, Newfoundland, he earned his PhD  
from the University of New Brunswick and has been a faculty member at  
Saint Mary's University since 2003. He teaches courses in ecology,  
evolution, and conservation biology and is a population ecologist with  
specific interests in bats and the biology of small populations.  
Together with keen and enthusiastic students he does research on a  
variety of species and subjects, most notably the social and  
population structure of bats.


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Patrick Kelly
Director of Computer Facilities
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Faculty of Architecture and Planning
Dalhousie University
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MAIL                                   COURIER
PO Box 15000                           5410 Spring Garden Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2           Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada                                 Canada
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Phone:(902) 494-3294    FAX:(902) 423-6672   E-mail:patrick.kelly@dal.ca
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id=3D"tabs-wrapper"><b>Population Biology and Impending Issues of =
Conservation and Management of Maritime Bats</b>&nbsp;by Dr. Hugh =
Broders.&nbsp;</div><div =
id=3D"node-246"><div><div><div><br></div><div><div =
id=3D"node-246"><div><div><div>[NOTE: This presentation was originally =
scheduled for last fall, but was canceled due to the valley-wide power =
outage. <b>The presentation will take place in the basement auditorium =
of the Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia =
University.</b>]</div></div></div></div><div =
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style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
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style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
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"></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Bat species =
that are year-round residents of temperate areas like Nova Scotia have a =
number of interesting characteristics in common.&nbsp; Despite their =
small size they have a life expectancy of decades, have low reproductive =
rates, are highly social and are active for only 25-30% of the =
year.&nbsp; Over the last decade or so my students and I have been =
trying to better understand the resource selection, movement dynamics =
and population structure of this group of animals.&nbsp; In this talk I =
will discuss bat population biology, what we know about bats in the =
region and finally talk about a major impending threat to our bat =
populations: white nose syndrome.&nbsp; White nose syndrome is the name =
given to the condition of bats that are affected by a fungus that grows =
on the nose of bats that was first documented in the winter of 2005/06 =
and has since wiped out millions of bats in the northeastern United =
States and Canada.&nbsp; Based on the rate of spread of the condition is =
seems unlikely that the Maritimes will be spared from It ravaging =
effects.&nbsp; If the fungus makes its way to our region and the local =
effects are consistent with those documented in the northeastern US, we =
can expect to lose up to 95% of our bats in the first few years, if not =
more.&nbsp; I hope these predictions are wrong but regardless we are in =
for a challenging time!</div><div><br></div><div><i>Dr. Broders works at =
the