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Allegheny woodrats Neotoma magister are an imperiled small mammal species most associated with emergent rock habitats in the central Appalachian Mountains and the Ohio River Valley. The monitoring of populations and their spatiotemporal distributions typically has relied on labor-intensive livetrapping. The use of remote-detecting cameras holds promise for being an equally or more effective method to determine species presence, although trap-based captures permit the estimation of other parameters (e.g., survival, population size, site fidelity). In 2017, 2018, and 2020 we compared standard livetrapping with paired cameras for determining site occupancy of Allegheny woodrats in the central Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia. We further examined the influence of baited vs. unbaited cameras at several sites of confirmed occupancy in 2019. We observed that the detection probability using cameras was approximately 1.7 times that of live traps. Also, detection probability at baited camera traps was 1.3-2.0 times that of unbaited camera traps. Estimates of occupancy ranged from 0.44 to 0.49. Our findings suggest that the use of baited remote-detecting cameras provides a more effective method than livetrapping for detecting Allegheny woodrats. Our study provides a framework for the development of a large-scale, long-term monitoring protocol of Allegheny woodrats with the goals of identifying changes in the distribution of the species and quantifying local extinction and colonization rates at emergent rock outcrops and caves throughout the species' known distribution. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Published version Funding and equipment provided by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources through a Wildlife Restoration Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Radford University. We thank many private land-owners for providing access survey sites. We are grateful to J. Bentley, J. Brown, C. Bryan, J. Crotts, H. Custer, M. Dimas, E. Gladin, A. Leon, N. McDonald, B. Mullen, K. Nelson-Anderson, L. Platt, L. Van Meter, and C. Wozniak for field assistance. We also thank three anonymous reviewers and the Associate Editor who provided comments that improved an earlier version of this manuscript. Any use of trade, product, website, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Many bat species are highly social, forming groups of conspecifics, particularly during the maternity season. In temperate North America, these social groups are typically comprised of closely related individuals or individuals that share some common trait (i.e. reproductive state or shared hibernacula from the previous winter). In the summer, when bats use forests for day-roosts, these social groups often demonstrate nonrandom patterns of periodically associating in common roosts and disassociating using different roosts as a ‘fission–fusion society’. As cave hibernating bat species in North America continue to decline due to the impacts of White-nose Syndrome, opportunities to describe these dynamics are becoming rare. Unfortunately, these patterns often are still poorly documented, yet understanding these behaviors is critical for species-specific habitat conservation and management. In our study, we tracked female northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) to their day-roosts in a small, suburban forest fragment in coastal New York, USA, in the summers of 2018 and 2019. We confirmed that the bats shared roost sites and, using network analyses, analyzed social dynamics and space use. In contrast to previous research on this imperiled species in large, unfragmented core forests, we found a more dense, connected roost network that concentrated around forest patch edges. Unusual for this species, primary roosts were anthropogenic structures. Our findings suggest that northern long-eared bats can utilize small forest patches and that incorporation of specific types of anthropogenic roosts might be an effective strategy for long-term conservation in more urbanized landscapes where forest management actions to enhance day-roosting conditions are impractical and the risk of stochastic loss of roosts is high.

High-throughput DNA sequencing can generate large genetic datasets in a cost-effective manner. Although the diet of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat) has been studied widely in natural and rural systems using visual identification of prey items in feces, our aim was to more completely assess diet using a metabarcoding approach across a wide urban-natural landscape gradient in the mid-Atlantic region. Concordant with our expectations and previous Big Brown Bat diet studies from visual identification, we observed a high abundance of Coleoptera (beetles) relative to other insect orders. Although a possible improvement over visual techniques for studying food habits, we suggest caution in interpreting metabarcoding results in diet studies. We noted observations of environmental or contaminant taxa within these data, and designed a stringent filtering method that we used to eliminate these taxa, but that also removed previously documented prey taxa from our dataset. National Park Service NRPP and WNS Support programs through Southern Appalachian and Chesapeake Bay Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit grants [P16AC00821, P17AC01616]; Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station through the National Institute for Food and Agriculture Published version This work was supported by the National Park Service NRPP and WNS Support programs through Southern Appalachian and Chesapeake Bay Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit grants P16AC00821 and P17AC01616 to the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Additional in-kind support was provided by the US Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit program, Marine Corps Base-Quantico Natural Resources Department, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment. Special thanks to E. Barr, S. Freeze, and L. Rohrbaugh for collecting samples. Fieldwork was performed by T. Calhoun, S. Dermody, R. Lesagonicz, G. Mosley, A. Morrison, M. Sellers, A. Silvis, and H. Taylor. The participation of E. Hallerman was supported in part by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station through the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Before the arrival of white-nose syndrome in North America, the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) was a common cavity-roosting bat species in central Appalachian hardwood forests. Two successive prescribed burns on the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia, in 2008 and 2009, were shown to positively affect maternity colony day-roost availability and condition in the near-term. However, whether immediate benefits were temporary and if burned forests actually experienced an accelerated loss of trees and snags possibly suitable for bats more than background loss in unburned forests became an important question following the species’ threatened designation. In 2016, we revisited 81 of 113 northern long-eared bat maternity colony day-roosts initially discovered in 2007–2009 with the objective of ascertaining if these trees and snags were still standing and thus potentially “available” for bat use. Initial tree or snag stage condition class and original year of discovery were contributory factors determining availability by 2016, whereas exposure to prescribed fire and tree/snag species decay resistance were not. Because forest managers may consider using habitat enhancement to improve northern long-eared bat survival, reproduction, and juvenile recruitment and must also protect documented day-roosts during forestry operations, we conclude that initial positive benefits from prescribed burning did not come at the expense of subsequent day-roost loss greater than background rates in these forests at least for the duration we examined.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern USA, bat communities in high-elevation habitats tend to be relatively under-surveyed. High-elevation habitats may provide important habitat to certain species (i.e., migratory tree bats), and may serve as climate refugia during droughts or high temperatures. We conducted an opportunistic acoustic survey of bat communities in ten survey areas in high elevation (1,585-1,920 m a.s.l.) montane Picea rubens (red spruce)-Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) forest in the southern Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. In each survey area, we randomly placed three full spectrum acoustic detectors (N = 30) during three seasons (spring, summer and fall) in 2015. We deployed each detector for two five-day periods during each season (n = 900 survey nights). Although we detected seven bat species/groups during the surveys, 73% of echolocation files were attributed to Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat) and Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat). Generally rare in the Appalachians and typically present only at low densities in the summer at mid- and low-elevations, both species were detected at all sites during all seasons. Overall, mean nightly activity of bats was higher in the summer than the spring or fall. We observed 3.7-5 times greater activity of L. cinereus in spruce-fir forests during the summer compared to spring and fall, whereas L. noctivagans had 1.3-5 times more activity in the summer compared to other seasons. After accounting for precipitation events, our finite mixture models showed that season, temperature, elevation, and canopy height influenced L. cinereus activity, whereas season and temperature affected L. noctivagans activity. Our observations suggest that high-elevation spruce-fir forests are providing summer foraging and possibly day-roosting habitat of tree bats not previously documented this far south in North America. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Pittman-Robertson grant [W-66-R-1]; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation grant [F11AC01265]; National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit agreement [P12AC13175] Published version North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Pittman-Robertson grant; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation grant; National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit agreement Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Background White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data. Results The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat). Conclusions Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.

North American flying squirrels (Glaucomys spp.) are social species that communally den and exhibit home range overlap. However, observations on home range overlap tend to come from live-trapped individuals and it is unknown whether overlap occurs among individuals belonging to the same social network. Since flying squirrels communally den with familiar individuals, their use of artificial nest boxes allows for the radio-collaring and tracking of squirrels within the same social network. We captured and radio-collared northern flying squirrels (G. sabrinus Shaw) found communally denning in nest boxes in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. We tracked squirrels captured from the same nest box (i.e., nest box groups) to determine home range overlap and subsequent den sharing between familiar individuals within those nest box groups. We found that amount of home range overlap did not differ between male-male, male-female, and female-female dyads, indicating that non-reproductive females and scrotal males are not territorial at the 95% or 50% home range level. Regardless of sex, all dyads had a significantly higher probability of home range overlap (PHR) at the 95% than the 50% home range level (i.e., overlap between squirrels decreases in core areas of their home range). We also found flying squirrels subsequently denned with familiar individuals during 20.9% of occasions post-collaring. Our study provides important information for understanding space use within flying squirrel social networks. Further work should be conducted to determine space use between familiar individuals including seasonal shifts in space use, degree of individual relatedness, and potential territoriality in females denning with young up to and following juvenile dispersal. U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Fish & Wildlife Service; North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; National Park Service; North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Pittman-Robertson [W-66-R-1]; US Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation [F11AC01265]; National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit [P12AC13175]; West Virginia Division of Highways [T699-FLY/SQ-1.00]; Grants-in-Aid for Scientific ResearchMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT)Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceGrants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) [11F01701] Funding Source: KAKEN Published version U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; National Park Service; West Virginia Division of Highways, Grant/Award Number: T699-FLY/SQ-1.00; North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Pittman-Robertson, Grant/Award Number: W-66-R-1; US Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation, Grant/Award Number: F11AC01265; National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit, Grant/Award Number: P12AC13175 Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

In North America, Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome. As these bats become rare and difficult to capture, additional day-roost assessments to inform management may fill gaps in our understanding, particularly in habitats and regions where such roosts have never been surveyed. Over 2 summers, we radio-tracked 16 individuals from a maternity colony on Long Island, NY, in a small forested patch surrounded by development and ocean. These bats disproportionately selected small, suppressed Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) trees or snags for roosting. Generally, roosts occurred within the interior or edges of this forest patch, rather than surrounding suburbia, reinforcing the hypothesis that Northern Long-eared Bats are forest adapted. Our study shows even small tracts of forest in coastal, urban areas may have conservation value in providing day-roost and foraging habitat. US National Park Service, through the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit Program, White-nose Syndrome Contract [P19AC01185] Published version Funding was provided by the US National Park Service, through the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit Program, White-nose Syndrome Contract #P19AC01185, to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We thank L. Ries, H. Taylor, K. Taylor, M. True, and S. Flanagan for field assistance. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Some jurisdictions in the eastern United States have reduced harvest of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) because of perceived declines in recruitment and population size over the last decade. Although the restoration of American black bears (Ursus americanus) and the colonization of coyotes (Canis latrans) have increased fawn predation in some areas, limited information exists on how temporally dynamic resources and weather influence fawn survival. Therefore, we evaluated fawn survival probability, cause specific mortality, and if factors such as oak (Quercus spp.) mast abundance, winter severity, precipitation, and landscape composition influenced mortality risk on Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia, USA, from 2008 to 2019. We tracked 248 fawns outfitted with very high frequency radio-collars and predation was the leading cause of mortality (n = 42; 45%). We estimated survival to 133 days and survival pooling all years (2008-2019) was 0.50 (95% CI = 0.42-0.60). Increased annual red oak (Quercus spp.) mast abundance from the previous fall reduced mortality hazard for fawns. The longevity of our study revealed a link between fawn survival and a specific maternal resource (red oak mast) only available during gestation. Our results highlight the importance of oak mast in eastern deciduous forests and, more broadly, overwinter maternal condition on white-tailed deer recruitment. Marine Corps Base Quantico; Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Published version We are grateful to Marine Corps Base Quantico for funding the field research and for support from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Surveying for flying squirrels by using traditional techniques produces extremely low detection rates compared with ultrasonic acoustics. Within Pennsylvania, the northern flying squirrel subspecies Glaucomys sabrinus macrotis is state listed as endangered due to habitat loss and parasite-mediated competition by and hybridization with the southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans. This subspecies is isolated from adjacent populations in West Virginia and New York and has experienced drastic population declines. The discovery and characterization of ultrasonic vocalizations of G. s. macrotis and G. volans, as well as successful field surveys with ultrasonic acoustic detectors in the southern Appalachian Mountains, highlight the potential use of this technique for determining the presence of G. s. macrotis. To confirm the feasibility of using this technique on declining populations of G. s. macrotis sympatric with G. volans, we conducted 108 nights of passive ultrasonic acoustic surveys for G. s. macrotis at six survey sites by using two detectors per survey site (N = 12 detectors) in June 2017. We considered sites high quality (“high”) or low quality (“low”) based on the number of physical capture records during the past 2 decades and the dominance of boreo-montane conifer tree species in the overstory. We detected G. s. macrotis at four study sites and G. volans at all six study sites. We found higher average probability of detection for G. s. macrotis in high vs. low sites (0.28 ± 0.06 [mean ± SE] and 0.09 ± 0.07, respectively), whereas probability of detection was similar for G. volans between high and low sites (0.13 ± 0.05 and 0.17 ± 0.05, respectively). We also found G. s. macrotis had lower latency of detection at high vs. low sites (2.7 ± 0.8 and 7.83 ± 1.5 nights, respectively) but G. volans did not vary in latency of detection between sites (5 ± 1.6 and 3.8 ± 1.5 nights, respectively). Our study shows acoustics can be successfully used to efficiently survey G. s. macrotis in Pennsylvania, where populations are small and monitoring these populations more effectively is critical to determining changes in persistence due to climate- and disease-induced factors.

One of the North American bat species most impacted by white-nose syndrome (WNS) is the northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis, which as a result has been listed under the Endangered Species Act. WNS was first detected in Wisconsin in 2014. Unfortunately, little is known regarding the ecology of M. septentrionalis in this state pre-WNS to guide management supporting post-WNS recovery efforts. The objectives of our research were to (1) assess characteristics of trees that are associated with roost tree selection and (2) investigate how characteristics of maternity colony networks compare to colonies in the eastern USA. We mist-netted at 3 sites in Wisconsin in 2015 and 2016, and affixed radio transmitters to 39 female M. septentrionalis. We tracked bats to 53 confirmed day roosts. We found that roost trees were larger, more decayed, and more likely to be in dominant canopy closure areas than random trees. Oaks Quercus spp. were used most frequently and in proportion to their availability in the landscape at 2 field sites, whereas invasive black locust Robinia pseudoacacia was used more than expected based on availability at another site. Overall, minimum convex polygon sizes for maternity roosts were variable (5.2 to 8.9 ha) but similar to values reported for other regions. However, network centrality was low, indicating equitable use of day roosts and more frequent roost switching compared to other regions. Our findings provide information that increasing availability of potential day roosts in the landscape during the reproductive period may improve recruitment, which may in turn mitigate some of the detrimental population effects from WNS.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused dramatic declines of several cave-hibernating bat species in North America since 2006, which has increased the activity of non-susceptible species in some geographic areas or during times of night formerly occupied by susceptible species-indicative of disease-mediated competitive release (DMCR). Yet, this pattern has not been evaluated across multiple bat assemblages simultaneously or across multiple years since WNS onset. We evaluated whether WNS altered spatial and temporal niche partitioning in bat assemblages at four locations in the eastern United States using long-term datasets of bat acoustic activity collected before and after WNS arrival. Activity of WNS-susceptible bat species decreased by 79-98% from pre-WNS levels across the four study locations, but only one of our four study sites provided strong evidence supporting the DMCR hypothesis in bats post-WNS. These results suggest that DMCR is likely dependent on the relative difference in activity by susceptible and non-susceptible species groups pre-WNS and the relative decline of susceptible species post-WNS allowing for competitive release, as well as the amount of time that had elapsed post-WNS. Our findings challenge the generality of WNS-mediated competitive release between susceptible and non-susceptible species and further highlight declining activity of some non-susceptible species, especially Lasiurus borealis, across three of four locations in the eastern United States. These results underscore the broader need for conservation efforts to address the multiple potential interacting drivers of bat declines on both WNS-susceptible and non-susceptible species. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service White-nose Syndrome Grant Program [4500900398]; Fort Drum through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Cooperative Agreement [W9126G-15-2-0005]; Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit Program Published version Funding for this study was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service White-nose Syndrome Grant Program Agreement #4500900398 to the U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Additional support came from Fort Drum through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Cooperative Agreement W9126G-15-2-0005 and the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit Program to the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. We thank P. White and the Wisconsin DNR for providing long-term acoustic data from Wisconsin. Fieldwork assistance was provided by L. Coleman, T. Nocera, J. Rodrigue, A. Silvis, and C. Whitman. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. All authors conceived the ideas and designed methodology; Robin Russell, Michael St. Germain, Chris Dobony, Mark Ford, Susan Loeb, and David Jachowski collected the data; Sara Bombaci and Robin Russell analyzed the data; Sara Bombaci and David Jachowski led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

In eastern North America, “tree bats” (Genera: Lasiurus and Lasionycteris) are highly susceptible to collisions with wind energy turbines and are known to fly offshore during migration. This raises concern about ongoing expansion of offshore wind-energy development off the Atlantic Coast. Season, atmospheric conditions, and site-level characteristics such as local habitat (e.g., forest coverage) have been shown to influence wind turbine collision rates by bats onshore, and therefore may be related to risk offshore. Therefore, to assess the factors affecting coastal presence of bats, we continuously gathered tree bat occurrence data using stationary acoustic recorders on five structures (four lighthouses on barrier islands and one light tower offshore) off the coast of Virginia, USA, across all seasons, 2012–2019. We used generalized additive models to describe tree bat occurrence on a nightly basis. We found that sites either indicated maternity or migratory seasonal occurrence patterns associated with local roosting resources, i.e., presence of trees. Across all sites, nightly occurrence was negatively related to wind speed and positively related to temperature and visibility. Using predictive performance metrics, we concluded that our model was highly predictive for the Virginia coast. Our findings were consistent with other studies—tree bat occurrence probability and presumed mortality risk to offshore wind-energy collisions is highest on low wind speed nights, high temperature and visibility nights, and during spring and fall. The high predictive model performance we observed provides a basis for which managers, using a similar monitoring and modeling regime, could develop an effective curtailment-based mitigation strategy. Published version

Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk) is a small, secretive carnivore that has substantially declined throughout the eastern United States since the mid-1900s. To better understand the current status of Eastern Spotted Skunks, we studied survival and reproduction of the S. p. putorius (Appalachian Spotted Skunk) subspecies across 4 states in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains from 2014 to 2020. Using encounter histories from 99 radio-collared Appalachian Spotted Skunks in a Kaplan-Meier known-fate survival analysis, we calculated a mean annual adult survival rate of 0.58. We did not find support for this survival rate varying by sex, predator cover (canopy cover and topographic ruggedness), or climate. Compared to estimates of survival from previous research, our data suggest that Appalachian Spotted Skunk survival is intermediate to the S. p. interrupta (Plains Spotted Skunk) and S. p. ambarvalis (Florida Spotted Skunk) subspecies of Eastern Spotted Skunk. We located 11 Appalachian Spotted Skunk natal dens and estimated mean litter size to be 2.8 juveniles per female. We used a Lefkovitch matrix to identify the most important demographic rates and found that adult survivorship had the largest impact on the population growth rate. These results provide important demographic information for future Eastern Spotted Skunk population viability analyses and can serve as a baseline for future comparative assessments of the effects of management interventions on the species. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Biology at the University of West Georgia; Friends of the Talladega National Forest; USDA Forest Service; US Fish and Wildlife Service; South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources [2013-14307]; Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Published version Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Biology at the University of West Georgia; Friends of the Talladega National Forest; USDA Forest Service(United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)United States Forest Service); US Fish and Wildlife Service(US Fish & Wildlife Service); South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

The geographic distribution of a species is a fundamental component in understanding its ecology and is necessary for forming effective conservation plans. For rare and elusive species of conservation concern, accurate maps of predicted occurrence are particularly problematic and often highly subjective. Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk) populations have experienced large declines since the 1940s. Their elusive behavior and perceived rarity result in low detection probability when using conventional methods for sampling small mammals. Low detection probability often causes uncertainty as to where Eastern Spotted Skunks could be a management concern. We modeled the distribution of predicted occurrence of Eastern Spotted Skunks using verifiable occurrence and non-detection records obtained throughout Virginia from 2010 to 2020. Occurrence data consisted of trapping records reported to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, incidental photo-verified reports of sightings and road-killed animals, and remote-camera detections. Non-detections were presumed at baited remote-camera locations following intense survey efforts. We fit predicted occurrence models using generalized linear modeling in an information-theoretic framework using the package 'stats' in Program R. Our results incidated a greater probability of presence from the Blue Ridge westward, increasing with slope steepness along northeastern- to southeastern-facing slopes and decreasing with slope steepness along southeastern- to southwestern-facing slopes. Emergent rock outcrops prominent along northeastern slopes offer ample protective rocky cover, whereas mixed Quercus spp. (oak), Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel), and Rhododendron maximum (Rosebay Rhododendron) forest communities along southern-facing slopes provide suitable areas of cover, both of which are critical for spotted skunk survival and reproductive success. Our analysis provides insight into the relationships between landscape features and Eastern Spotted Skunk distributions across Virginia. Understanding these relationships is critical for the effective management and conservation of this vulnerable species. Published version Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Background Understanding the effects of disturbance events, land cover, and weather on wildlife activity is fundamental to wildlife management. Currently, in North America, bats are of high conservation concern due to white-nose syndrome and wind-energy development impact, but the role of fire as a potential additional stressor has received less focus. Although limited, the vast majority of research on bats and fire in the southeastern United States has been conducted during the growing season, thereby creating data gaps for bats in the region relative to overwintering conditions, particularly for non-hibernating species. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem is an archetypal fire-mediated ecosystem that has been the focus of landscape-level restoration in the Southeast. Although historically fires predominately occurred during the growing season in these systems, dormant-season fire is more widely utilized for easier application and control as a means of habitat management in the region. To assess the impacts of fire and environmental factors on bat activity on Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CB) in northern Florida, USA, we deployed 34 acoustic detectors across CB and recorded data from 26 February to 3 April 2019, and from 10 December 2019 to 14 January 2020. Results We identified eight bat species native to the region as present at CB. Bat activity was related to the proximity of mesic habitats as well as the presence of pine or deciduous forest types, depending on species morphology (i.e., body size, wing-loading, and echolocation call frequency). Activity for all bat species was influenced positively by either time since fire or mean fire return interval. Conclusion Overall, our results suggested that fire use provides a diverse landscape pattern at CB that maintains mesic, deciduous habitat within the larger pine forest matrix, thereby supporting the diverse bat community at CB during the dormant season and early spring.

Ultrasonic bat detectors are useful for research and monitoring purposes to assess occupancy and relative activity of bat communities. Environmental “clutter” such as tree boles and foliage can affect the recording quality and identification of bat echolocation calls collected using ultrasonic detectors. It can also affect the transmission of calls and recognition by bats when using acoustic lure devices to attract bats to mist-nets. Bat detectors are often placed in forests, yet automatic identification programs are trained on call libraries using echolocation passes recorded largely from open spaces. Research indicates that using clutter-recorded calls can increase classification accuracy for some bat species and decrease accuracy for others, but a detailed understanding of how clutter impacts the recording and identification of echolocation calls remains elusive. To clarify this, we experimentally investigated how two measures of clutter (i.e., total basal area and number of stems of simulated woody growth, as well as recording angle) affected the recording and classification of a synthesized echolocation signal under controlled conditions in an anechoic chamber. Recording angle (i.e., receiver position relative to emitter) significantly influenced the probability of correct classification and differed significantly for many of the call parameters measured. The probability of recording echo pulses was also a function of clutter but only for the detector angle at 0° from the emitter that could receive deflected pulses. Overall, the two clutter metrics were overshadowed by proximity and angle of the receiver to the sound source but some deviations from the synthesized call in terms of maximum, minimum, and mean frequency parameters were observed. Results from our work may aid efforts to better understand underlying environmental conditions that produce false-positive and -negative identifications for bat species of interest and how this could be used to adjust survey accuracy estimates. Our results also help pave the way for future research into the development of acoustic lure technology by exploring the effects of environmental clutter on ultrasound transmission. Published version

We assessed the sampling effort requirements for detecting the presence of extant bat species following the impact of white-nose syndrome in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. We acoustically sampled 27,796 nights across 846 sites between 15 May and 15 August 2016-2018 within the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. We developed simulations to determine the number of sites required to document bat species when each site was sampled different numbers of nights. We examined these simulations with respect to land cover, physiographic region, and time period. We generally found that sampling a greater number of sample sites within a survey area increased detection more than increasing the number of nights at individual sampling sites. The sampling effort required to detect a given bat species varied by species, as well as land-cover type and physiographic region. Our results suggest that land managers and researchers should use caution in using protocols developed with other objectives, e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered and threatened bat species and the North American Bat monitoring programs? methods are designed relative to their specific needs. Unfortunately, neither protocol may be adequate for accurately detecting bat communities within all mid-Atlantic areas. National Park Service National Capital and Northeast Region; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Virginia Ecological Services Office; U.S. Army Installation Command; National Aeronautics and Space Administration Wallops Flight Facility; Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Published version We thank T. Calhoun, S. Dermody, R. Lesagonicz, G. Mosley, A. Freeze, A. Scott, H. Taylor, L. Rohrbaugh and V. Wolfgang for their assistance with fieldwork. Funding was provided by the National Park Service National Capital and Northeast Region, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Virginia Ecological Services Office, the U.S. Army Installation Command, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Wallops Flight Facility through numerous cooperative agreements with the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Given the likelihood of regional extirpation of several once-common bat species in eastern North America from white-nose syndrome, it is critical that the impacts of forest management activities, such as prescribed fire, are known in order to minimize potentially additive negative effects on bat populations. Historic wildfires may offer a suitable surrogate to assess long-term burn impacts on bats for planning, implementing and assessing burn programs. To examine the effects of historic fire on bats, we sampled bat activities at 24 transect locations in burned and unburned forest stands in the central Appalachian Mountains of Shenandoah National Park (SNP), Virginia, USA. There was limited evidence of positive fire effects over time on hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus Beauvois) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus Beauvois) occupancy. Overall, there were few or mostly equivocal relationships of bat occupancy relative to burn conditions or time since fire in SNP across species using a false-positive occupancy approach. Our results suggest that fire does not strongly affect bat site occupancy short- or long-term in the central Appalachians.

Many central Appalachian ridges offer high wind potential, making them attractive to future wind-energy development. Understanding seasonal and hourly activity patterns of migratory bat species may help to reduce fatalities at wind-energy facilities and provide guidance for the development of best management practices for bats. To examine hourly migratory bat activity patterns in the fall and spring in Virginia in an exploratory fashion with a suite of general temporal, environmental, and weather variables, we acoustically monitored bat activity on five ridgelines and side slopes from early September through mid-November 2015 and 2016 and from early March through late April 2016 and 2017. On ridges, bat activity decreased through the autumn sample period, but was more variable through the spring sample period. In autumn, migratory bat activity had largely ceased by mid-November. Activity patterns were species specific in both autumn and spring sample periods. Generally, migratory bat activity was negatively associated with hourly wind speeds but positively associated with ambient temperatures. These data provide further evidence that operational mitigation strategies at wind-energy facilities could help protect migratory bat species in the Appalachians; substantially slowing or locking wind turbine blade spin during periods of low wind speeds, often below where electricity is generated, and warm ambient temperatures may minimize mortality during periods of high bat activity. Joint Fire Science Program through the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit Program [G14AC00316]; U.S. Geological Survey Disease Program through the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit Program [G15AC00487] Funding was provided by the Joint Fire Science Program Grant #G14AC00316 and U.S. Geological Survey Disease Program Grant #G15AC00487 through the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit Program. We thank the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service for allowing site access for this research. Acoustic monitoring equipment was provided by Bat Conservation International. S. Sweeten and L. Austin performed invaluable field assistance. This manuscript was greatly improved by the thoughtful comments of the Associate Editor and three anonymous reviewers. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Coal mining is an anthropogenic stressor that has impacted terrestrial and semi-aquatic wildlife in the Appalachian Plateau since European settlement. Creation of grassland and early-successional habitats resulting from mining in a forested landscape has resulted in novel, non-analog habitat conditions. Depending on the taxa, the extent of mining on the landscape, and reclamation practices, effects have ranged across a gradient of negative to positive. Forest-obligate species such as woodland salamanders and forest-interior birds or those that depend on aquatic systems in their life cycle have been most impacted. Others, such as grassland and early-successional bird species have responded favorably. Some bat species, as an unintended consequence, use legacy deep mines as winter hibernacula in a region with limited karst geology. Recolonization of impacted wildlife often depends on life strategies and species’ vagility, but also on altered or arrested successional processes on the post-surface mine landscape. Many wildlife species will benefit from Forest Reclamation Approach practices going forward. In the future, managers will be faced with decisions about reforestation versus maintaining open habitats depending on the conservation need of species. Lastly, the post-mined landscape currently is the focal point for a regional effort to restore elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Appalachians. Published version

Simulating long-term, landscape level changes in forest composition requires estimates of stand age to initialize succession models. Detailed stand ages are rarely available, and even general information on stand history often is lacking. We used data from USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database to estimate broad age classes for a forested landscape to simulate changes in landscape composition and structure relative to climate change at Fort Drum, a 43,000 ha U.S. Army installation in northwestern New York. Using simple linear regression, we developed relationships between tree diameter and age for FIA site trees from the host and adjacent ecoregions and applied those relationships to forest stands at Fort Drum. We observed that approximately half of the variation in age was explained by diameter breast height (DBH) across all species studied (r2 = 0.42 for sugar maple Acer saccharum to 0.63 for white ash Fraxinus americana). We then used age-diameter relationships from published research on northern hardwood species to calibrate results from the FIA-based analysis. With predicted stand age, we used tree species life histories and environmental conditions represented by ecological site types to parameterize a stochastic forest landscape model (LANDIS-II) to spatially and temporally model successional changes in forest communities at Fort Drum. Forest stands modeled over 100 years without significant disturbance appeared to reflect expected patterns of increasing dominance by shade-tolerant mesophytic tree species such as sugar maple, red maple (Acer rubrum), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) where soil moisture was sufficient. On drier sandy soils, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), red pine (P. resinosa), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and white oak (Q. alba) continued to be important components throughout the modeling period with no net loss at the landscape scale. Our results suggest that despite abundant precipitation and relatively low evapotranspiration rates for the region, low soil water holding capacity and fertility may be limiting factors for the spread of mesophytic species on excessively drained soils in the region. Increasing atmospheric temperatures projected for the region could alter moisture regimes for many coarse-textured soils providing a possible mechanism for expansion of xerophytic tree species. Published version

Little is known about hypogeous, sequestrate fungi (i.e., truffles) in the eastern United States. Since the fruiting bodies of these fungi are part of the diet of multiple rodent species, filling data gaps is important to understanding more about truffle species distribution and habitat associations. During a microhabitat study on radio-collared Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus (Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel) in 2013, we opportunistically sampled truffles at small-mammal digs and scratches within our microhabitat plots. All sampling was conducted within known squirrel-foraging home ranges. We found 3 Elaphomyces species: E. macrosporus, E. verruculosus, and E. americanum. Our observations of E. macroporus are the first from West Virginia. Herein, we describe the microhabitat associations for each fungal species. We suggest using small-mammal digs and scratches as potential indicators to opportunistically gather more information on truffle species in coniferous forests of the eastern United States. West Virginia Division of Highways [T669-FLY/SQ-1.00] Funding for this study was provided by West Virginia Division of Highways (Grant #T669-FLY/SQ-1.00). D. Richardson, M. Gilley, and 2 anonymous reviewers provided comments that improved this manuscript. The use of any trade, product, or firm names does not imply endorsement by the US government. The authors state no conflicts of interest in regard to this wor k. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

New technologies allow for more efficient and effective monitoring of rare or elusive species. However, standardizing protocol to ensure high detection rates is important prior to widespread use of a new technique. The use of ultrasonic acoustic detectors to survey for flying squirrels (Glaucomys spp.) is a novel method that is more efficient than traditional methods. However, certain methodologies for this technique still need to be refined. During 2015, we conducted a seasonal and habitat quality study on the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel (G. sabrinus coloratus) in western North Carolina, USA. Our seasonal study examined differences in probability of detection (POD) and latency to detection (LTD) at 30 high-quality sites across 10 survey nights in spring, summer, and autumn. The habitat quality study focused on POD and LTD among 15 sites with varying habitat quality (5 High, 5 Medium, 5 Low) across 20 survey nights. We found POD similar between seasons, with POD 15-20% greater during spring. The LTD was comparable among seasons. We found that POD and LTD varied at sites with different habitat quality. The POD was similar between High and Medium sites (0.26 +/- 0.04 SE and 0.29 +/- 0.05, respectively), but greater than Low sites (0.02 +/- 0.02). The LTD was not different among sites with differing habitat quality, although LTD at High sites was 2.7 and 4.5 times lower than Medium and Low sites, respectively. Trill calls, the most distinctive species-specific call type produced by species of flying squirrels, was recorded at greater rates in spring versus other times of the year. Our results indicate flying squirrels can be surveyed during any season, although habitat quality needs to be considered when determining survey length. For Carolina northern flying squirrel, the optimal time to perform acoustic surveys is during the spring season for 6-10 survey nights at sites with high or medium habitat quality. (c) 2020 The Wildlife Society. North Carolina Pittman-Robertson grant [W-66-R-1]; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation grant [F11AC01265]; National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit [P12AC13175] We would like to thank K. Weeks, S. Cameron, M. Crockett, M. McCombs, S. Bryan, E. Corey, R. McGraw, B. Cherry, P. Super, J. Yarkovich, and B. Stiver for logistical support. S. Higdon, K. Parker, A. Garnish, N. Yates, and H. B. Hound provided assistance with field work and data management. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy provided housing. North Carolina Pittman-Robertson grant #W-66-R-1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Recovery Implementation grant #F11AC01265, and National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit agreement #P12AC13175 provided funding for this project. This research was conducted under North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Endangered Species Permit #14-ES00401, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Research Recovery Permit #TE34778A-0, North Carolina State Parks Permit #2015-0023, and National Park Service Permit #GRSM-2015-SCI-1226. Associate Editor P. Neuhaus, K. Weeks, S. Hirt, and 2 anonymous reviewers provided comments that helped improve this manuscript. The authors of this manuscript have no known conflicts of interest. The use of trade, product, or firm names does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

Climate-change impacts to Department of Defense (DoD) installations will challenge military mission and natural resource stewardship efforts by increasing vulnerability to flooding, drought, altered fire regimes, and invasive species. We developed biome classifications based on current climate for the coterminous United States using the Holdridge Life Zone system to assess potential change on DoD lands. We validated classifications using comparisons to existing ecoregional classifications, the distribution of major forest types, and tree species in eastern North America. We projected future life zones for mid- and late-century time periods under three greenhouse gas emission scenarios (low-B1, moderate-A1B, and high-A2) using an ensemble of global climate models. To assess installation vulnerability (n = 529), we analyzed biome shifts using spatial cluster analysis to characterize interregional variation, and identified representative installations for subsequent landscape-level analyses. Although mean annual temperatures are expected to increase, installations located in the Northeast, Lake States, and western Great Plains are likely to experience the largest proportional increases in temperature. Accordingly, forest and grassland communities at these installations managed to support a wide range of training, and environmental objectives may be adversely affected by altered disturbance regimes, heat, and moisture stress. However, precipitation is projected to increase in the Northeast and Lake States mitigating some effects of increased temperatures on biological communities. Given the uncertain response to climate change in different ecoregions, additional environmental and stewardship attributes are needed within a decision-support framework to understand vulnerabilities and provide appropriate responses. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Environmental Quality and Installation Research Program This project was funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Environmental Quality and Installation Research Program. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

With the declines in abundance and changing distribution of white-nose syndrome-affected bat species, increased reliance on acoustic monitoring is now the new "normal." As such, the ability to accurately identify individual bat species with acoustic identification programs has become increasingly important. We assessed rates of disagreement between the three U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved acoustic identification software programs (Kaleidoscope Pro 4.2.0, Echoclass 3.1, and Bat Call Identification 2.7d) and manual visual identification using acoustic data collected during summers from 2003 to 2017 at Fort Drum, New York. We assessed the percentage of agreement between programs through pairwise comparisons on a total nightly count level, individual file level (e.g., individual echolocation pass call file), and grouped maximum likelihood estimate level (e.g., probability values that a species is misclassified as present when in fact it is absent) using preplanned contrasts, Akaike Information Criterion, and annual confusion matrices. Interprogram agreement on an individual file level was low, as measured by Cohen's Kappa (0.2-0.6). However, site-night level pairwise comparative analysis indicated that program agreement was higher (40-90%) using single season occupancy metrics. In comparing analytical outcomes of our different datasets (i.e., how comparable programs and visual identification are regarding the relationship between environmental conditions and bat activity), we determined high levels of congruency in the relative rankings of the model as well as the relative level of support for each individual model. This indicated that among individual software packages, when analyzing bat calls, there was consistent ecological inference beyond the file-by-file level at the scales used by managers. Depending on objectives, we believe our results can help users choose automated software and maximum likelihood estimate thresholds more appropriate for their needs and allow for better cross-comparison of studies using different automated acoustic software. Fort Drum Military Installation through U.S Army Corps of Engineers [W9126G-15-2-0005] The Fort Drum Military Installation through U.S Army Corps of Engineers contract W9126G-15-2-0005 via the Southern Appalachia Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit Program supported this work. We thank J. Rodrigue and C. Whitman for field assistance. Earlier drafts of this article were reviewed by B. Carstensen. The comments of the Associate Editor and three anonymous reviewers substantially improved this article. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee

The northeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts of the United States are important summer maternity habitat and seasonal migratory corridors for many species of bats. Additionally, the effects of weather on bat activity are relatively unknown beyond coarse nightly scales. Using acoustic detectors, we assessed nightly and hourly activity patterns for eight species of bats over 21 consecutive months at Fire Island National Seashore, New York. The site is an important bat conservation area because it hosts one of the few confirmed northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies in the region despite their widespread extirpation due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). There have been no reported captures of little brown bats (M. lucifugus), Indiana bats (M. sodalis), or tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) at the site post-WNS. Overall, we found mean hourly temperature, time since sunset, day of year, and year to be the most important predictors of bat activity levels for all examined species. Most non-hibernating, migratory species in our study demonstrated a positive relationship to mean temperature at the hourly timescale, whereas cave-hibernating bats tended to show a negative relationship to mean temperature during the time of year when they are expected to be active. Although most bat activity occurred in the late spring through early autumn, peaking in summer, some activity occurred periodically in the winter months, mostly attributable to the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivigans) phonic group. Unexpectedly, relationships of bat activity to wind and precipitation were largely equivocal. Initial presence (as early as March 30) and departure (between November 1-4) for northern long-eared bats at our study area occurred earlier in the spring and later in the fall than occurs for inland populations, suggesting that the species overwinters on Long Island rather than at inland karst caves or mines. A peak in spring activity characteristic of migratory behavior in the central Appalachians and Atlantic Coast was not observed at Fire Island, although Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) and hoary bats (L. cinereus) - both migratory species - did show a notable rise in activity in the late summer and early fall, suggesting these populations may migrate to and from Fire Island. Understanding the temporal and weather relationships to bat activity in this coastal environment may have important implications for tailoring more effective conservation and management strategies by identifying optimal timing for surveys, tracking bats during peak migratory windows, and providing insights that minimizes impacts to extant bats from activities such as wind-energy development or land management, i.e., forestry. National Park Service, USA [P19AC01185] Published version We thank H. Taylor, K. Taylor, and S. Flanagan for field assistance. We would also like to thank our anonymous reviewers and associate editor. Funding for this research was provided by the National Park Service, USA, White-nose Syndrome Contract #P19AC01185 through the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit Program to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.