Potential effects of wind energy development on the spatial population dynamics of the Indiana bat

Background/Question/Methods

The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) is an endangered species facing many threats that are spatially dependent. These threats include White-nose Syndrome, land use change, climate change, and wind energy development. However, few bat population models exist and those that do lack spatial interactions and dynamics. We created a spatially explicit stage-structured population model for the species. This model includes both summer roost sites and winter hibernacula and follows migratory subpopulations of the Indiana bat. Our model also includes mortality effects for wind energy development along possible migration routes. 

 Results/Conclusions

We found multiple locally unstable equilibria dependent on the perturbation or initial conditions. We also found different levels of migration mortality caused similar global population decreases, but different meta-population effects. As an example, a small increase in migration mortality along several routes produced a similar net population decrease as a large increase in migration mortality along a single route. However, only the second scenario caused local extirpation of a subpopulation. This example illustrates the importance considering incremental take and spatial dynamics in designing conservation and recovery efforts for the Indiana bat.