Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
Jul 2015
Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
Amy L. Russell
The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is one of the most widespread bat species in North America and is experiencing severe population declines because of an emerging fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS). To manage and conserve this species effectively it is important to understand patterns of gene flow and population connectivity to identify possible barriers to disease transmission. However, little is known about the population genetic structure of little brown bats, and to date, no studies have investigated population structure across their entire range. We examined mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellites in 637 little brown bats (including all currently recognized …
Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso
Jun 2015
Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso
Amy L. Russell
The Hawaiian islands are an extremely isolated oceanic archipelago, and their fauna has long served as models of dispersal in island biogeography. While molecular data have recently been applied to investigate the timing and origin of dispersal events for several animal groups including birds, insects, and snails, these questions have been largely unaddressed in Hawaii'i's only native terrestrial mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus semotus. Here, we use molecular data to test the hypotheses that (1) Hawaiian L. c. semotus originated via dispersal from North American populations of L. c. cinereus rather than from South American L. c. villosissimus, …
Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell
Apr 2015
Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
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 whether different subpopulations use spatially segregated migratory routes. Here, we utilize genetic data from eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), one of the species most highly affected by wind power development in North America, to (1) evaluate patterns of population structure across the landscape, (2) estimate effective population size …
From The Field To The Lab: Best Practices For Field Preservation Of Bat Specimens For Molecular Analyses, Angelique Corthals, Alynn Martin, Omar M. Warsi, Megan Woller-Skar, Winston Lancaster, Amy L. Russell, Liliana M. Dávalos
Mar 2015
From The Field To The Lab: Best Practices For Field Preservation Of Bat Specimens For Molecular Analyses, Angelique Corthals, Alynn Martin, Omar M. Warsi, Megan Woller-Skar, Winston Lancaster, Amy L. Russell, Liliana M. Dávalos
Amy L. Russell
Studies in molecular ecology depend on field-collected samples for genetic information, and the tissue sampled and preservation conditions strongly affect the quality of the DNA obtained. DNA yields from different tissue types have seldom been compared, even though these media may influence DNA degradation under field conditions. We analyzed DNA yield from buccal swabs and wing punches harvested from live bats using nucleic acid quantification as well as quantitative PCR for a single-copy nuclear locus. We also compared DNA yields from wing tissue preserved in three media: ethanol, NaCl-saturated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and silica desiccant. Wing punches yielded more total …
Microcystin Detected In Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus), Megan Woller-Skar, Devin N. Jones, Mark R. Luttenton, Amy L. Russell
Dec 2014
Microcystin Detected In Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus), Megan Woller-Skar, Devin N. Jones, Mark R. Luttenton, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
Recent studies documented the potential transfer of microcystin, a hepatotoxin produced by some cyanobacteria, from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. Using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, we measured microcystins in emergent Hexagenia limbata mayflies and fecal samples collected from a maternity colony of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) located adjacent to a Michigan (U.S.A.) lake that experiences seasonal blooms of toxicogenic Microcystis aeruginosa. All H. limbata and M. lucifugus fecal samples contained microcystin (H. limbata: mean = 293.88 ng/g dw +/- 35.99 SE, n = 39; M. lucifugus: mean = 262.10 ng/g dw +/- 31.08 SE, …
Optimizing Conservation Strategies For Mexican Free-Tailed Bats: A Population Viability And Ecosystem Services Approach, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura López-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary Mccracken, Wayne Thogmartin, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy L. Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo A. Medellín
Dec 2014
Optimizing Conservation Strategies For Mexican Free-Tailed Bats: A Population Viability And Ecosystem Services Approach, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura López-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary Mccracken, Wayne Thogmartin, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy L. Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo A. Medellín
Amy L. Russell
Conservation planning can be challenging due to the need to balance biological concerns about population viability with social concerns about the benefits biodiversity provide to society, often while operating under a limited budget. Methods and tools that help prioritize conservation actions are critical for the management of at-risk species. Here, we use a multi-attribute utility function to assess the optimal maternity roosts to conserve for maintaining the population viability and the ecosystem services of a single species, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana). Mexican free-tailed bats provide ecosystem services such as insect pest-suppression in agricultural areas and recreational viewing …