In a January, 2015 News Release, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that “In response to the rapid and severe decline of the northern long-eared bat – a species important for crop pest control – the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a special rule under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that would provide the maximum benefit to the species while limiting the regulatory burden on the public.” The Service proposed to list the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the ESA in October 2013 and is due to make a final decision by April 2, 2015.
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease affecting hibernating bats. It is named for a white fungus that appears on the muzzle and other parts of bats. WNS is a leading threat to the Northern Long-Eared bat, especially throughout the Northeast where the species has declined by up to 99 percent from pre-white-nose syndrome levels at many hibernation sites.
“White-nose syndrome is having a devastating effect on the nation’s bat populations, which play a vital role in sustaining a healthy environment and save billions of dollars by controlling forest and agricultural pests,” said Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. “We need to do what we can to make sure we are putting commonsense protections in place that support vulnerable bat species but are targeted to minimize impact on human activities. Through this proposed 4(d) rule, we are seeking public comment on how we can use the flexibilities inherent in the ESA to protect the bat and economic activity.”
Sciencemag.org published an article advising that “the economic consequences of losing so many bats could be substantial. For example, a single colony of 150 big brown bats in Indiana has been estimated to eat nearly 1.3 million pest insects each year, possibly contributing to the disruption of population cycles of agricultural pests,” adding “when extrapolated to the one million bats estimated to have died from WNS, between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects are no longer being consumed each year in WNS affected areas.”
Profile
The northern long-eared bat is a medium-sized bat about 3 to 3.7 inches in length with a wingspan of 9 to 10 inches. Distinguished by its long ears, this bat is found in the United States from Maine to North Carolina on the Atlantic Coast, westward to eastern Oklahoma and north through the Dakotas, even reaching into eastern Montana and Wyoming. In Canada it is found from the Atlantic Coast westward to the southern Yukon Territory and eastern British Columbia.
Northern long-eared bats emerge at dusk feeding on moths, flies, leafhoppers, caddisflies, and beetles, which they catch while in flight using echolocation. This bat also feeds by removing motionless insects from vegetation and water surfaces.
Scientists of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) advise that “bats are among the most overlooked, yet economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, and their conservation is important for the integrity of ecosystems and in the best interest of both national and international economies.”
Estimating the economic importance of bats in agricultural systems is challenging, but it is possible that loss of bats in North America could lead to billions of dollars of agricultural losses each year.
To learn more about the proposal, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/news/765.html
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