[NatureNS] on bats & fungus, from Hugh Broders -- re bats endangered -- good for

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From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 01:32:39 -0300
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THANKS FOR WEIGHING IN, HUGH! from Jim & all concerned naturalists et =20=

al.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Hugh Broders <Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA>
> Date: July 4, 2013 4:38:43 PM ADT
> To: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, Nature BNS =20
> <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>
> Cc: Mark F Elderkin <elderkmf@gov.ns.ca>, Andrew Hebda =20
> <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, Fred Scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca>, Donald =20
> McAlpine <Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca>
> Subject: RE: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores??
>
> Hi Jim,
> Fortunately we have not lived in a time when there were no bats to =20
> know for sure but I would feel pretty confident that we will not =20
> notice much of a difference in mosquito numbers.  I've been around =20
> maternity roosts where there were hundreds of bats and got "eaten =20
> alive".  There is no doubt they eat mosquitos, but along with =20
> numerous other insects.  A paper we have under review now have =20
> identified, conservatively, about 100 species in their diet.  There =20=

> will undoubtedly be changes in insect populations but my guess is =20
> that these will be subtle and we might not detect them in most =20
> situations.  There is data in support of the huge ecological =20
> services that can provide, at least in some places.  However, I =20
> would be hesitant to suggest that it will be more difficult to be =20
> outside now due to the increased number of mosquitos because there =20
> are no bats.
>
> The fungus that causes WNS has been found in Europe with no known =20
> mortality associated with it.  It is likely that the Eurpopean bat =20
> species (which are all different from the North American species), =20
> are adapted to its presence hence it does not affect them (... =20
> presumably (and hopefully) a result of natural selection from many =20
> many generations ago, before there were bat biologists).  North =20
> American bats are na=EFve hosts.  Hopefully some of our bats have a =20=

> genetic predisposition to survive it and repopulate....it is too =20
> early to tell.  Regardless, given their really low reproductive =20
> rate it will take a long time to get back to pre-WNS numbers if =20
> they can rebound.
>
> Hope this is helpful
> Hugh
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James W. Wolford [mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca]
> Sent: July-04-13 4:01 PM
> To: Nature BNS
> Cc: Hugh Broders; Mark F Elderkin; Andrew Hebda; Fred Scott; Donald =20=

> McAlpine
> Subject: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores??
>
> Today on CBC Radio News, Andrew Hebda said it might not be long =20
> before our little brown bat is extinct, considering the precipitous =20=

> decline over the past two winters in the hibernacula.  Thus Andrew =20
> was predicting that, without their night-time enemies, mosquitoes =20
> are liable to get much more abundant and troublesome for us than =20
> usual.
>
> But I wonder if this general insect abundance might actually help =20
> our troubled aerial insectivores a bit (swifts, swallows, =20
> nighthawks, flycatchers, others?)?
>
> Hugh or Mark or Andrew or Fred or Don, Mark's great article in =20
> Saturday's NovaScotian section (Herald) left out any information on =20=

> the history of the fungus (Geomyces destructans) and the bat =20
> populations in Europe.  Is much known about how the bats fared then =20=

> and, if they declined hugely like ours, how long it took them to =20
> creep back into present abundance.  I think I have heard or read =20
> that the same fungus now doesn't seem to be affecting the bats much =20=

> or at all in the Old World.
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
THANKS FOR WEIGHING IN, HUGH! from Jim &amp; all concerned naturalists =
et al.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">Hugh Broders &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA">Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA</a>&gt;</font></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">July 4, 2013 4:38:43 PM ADT</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">"James W. =
Wolford" &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;, =
Nature BNS &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">nature@blomidonnaturalists.c=
a</a>&gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Mark F Elderkin &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:elderkmf@gov.ns.ca">elderkmf@gov.ns.ca</a>&gt;, Andrew =
Hebda &lt;HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca&gt;, =
Fred Scott &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca">fwscott@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;, Donald =
McAlpine &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca">Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca</a>&=
gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>RE: re bats endangered -- good for =
other insectivores??</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div> <div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hi Jim,</div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Fortunately we have not lived in a time when there =
were no bats to know for sure but I would feel pretty confident that we =
will not notice much of a difference in mosquito numbers.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>I've been around maternity =
roosts where there were hundreds of bats and got "eaten alive".<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>There is no doubt they eat =
mosquitos, but along with numerous other insects.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>A paper we have under =
review now have identified, conservatively, about 100 species in their =
diet.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>There will =
undoubtedly be changes in insect populations but my guess is that these =
will be subtle and we might not detect them in most situations.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>There is data in support =
of the huge ecological services that can provide, at least in some =
places.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>However, I =
would be hesitant to suggest that it will be more difficult to be =
outside now due to the increased number of mosquitos because there are =
no bats.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; =
&nbsp;</span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">The fungus that causes WNS has been found in Europe =
with no known mortality associated with it.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>It is likely that the =
Eurpopean bat species (which are all different from the North American =
species), are adapted to its presence hence it does not affect them (... =
presumably (and hopefully) a result of natural selection from many many =
generations ago, before there were bat biologists).<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>North American bats are =
na=EFve hosts.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; =
</span>Hopefully some of our bats have a genetic predisposition to =
survive it and repopulate....it is too early to tell.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Regardless, given their =
really low reproductive rate it will take a long time to get back to =
pre-WNS numbers if they can rebound.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hope this is helpful</div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Hugh</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-----Original =
Message-----</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">From: James W. Wolford [<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>]<=
span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Sent: July-04-13 4:01 PM</div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">To: Nature BNS</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cc: Hugh =
Broders; Mark F Elderkin; Andrew Hebda; Fred Scott; Donald =
McAlpine</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subject: re bats endangered -- =
good for other insectivores??</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Today on CBC Radio News, Andrew =
Hebda said it might not be long before our little brown bat is extinct, =
considering the precipitous decline over the past two winters in the =
hibernacula.<span class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Thus =
Andrew was predicting that, without their night-time enemies, mosquitoes =
are liable to get much more abundant and troublesome for us than =
usual.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">But I wonder if this general insect abundance might =
actually help our troubled aerial insectivores a bit (swifts, swallows, =
nighthawks, flycatchers, others?)?</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hugh or Mark or Andrew or Fred =
or Don, Mark's great article in Saturday's NovaScotian section (Herald) =
left out any information on the history of the fungus (Geomyces =
destructans) and the bat populations in Europe.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Is much known about how =
the bats fared then and, if they declined hugely like ours, how long it =
took them to creep back into present abundance.<span =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>I think I have heard or =
read that the same fungus now doesn't seem to be affecting the bats much =
or at all in the Old World.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville.</div> </blockquote></div><br></body></html>=

--Apple-Mail-24--186232023--

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