Zoology Program Update 2016

2016 Partners Meeting:Zoology Update

Dan Bachen Senior Zoologist

Montana Natural Heritage Program

Zoology Personnel

Zoology Core DutiesFor all animals:•Conservation Status Rank

• Distribution • Life history• Population indices

•Acquire Zoological Data• Projects• Submissions

• Provide these data and derived products to Federal, State, Tribal, NGO, and general public

~8,000 moth species in MT *

Animal Species in NHP Database

Conservation Status Ranks

Observations Surveys

Species Data• Range maps created for 180

invertebrate species• Updated 203 range map

polygons • 1,639 photos to field guide

• 941 invertebrate species now have photos

• References• 1,853 new references• 12,930 updated to field guide to

1,558 species• Species accounts

• 30 bombus spp.• 218 butterflies completed soon• 134 grasshopper (maps and

photos only)

Status Lists UpdatesBLM Sensitive/ Special Status• Amphibians: 1

removed• Birds: 11 removed/ 5

added• Fish: 2 removed• Mammals: 4 removed• Invertebrates: 1

removed/ 2 added

SOC review project 2017• 100 species• Populate online status

and rank reasons

Transparent Species Ranks

Amphibian Inventory

Proportion of wetland complexes where breeding was detected = 0.62*, N = 74

Bat Acoustic Surveillance

Bat Acoustic Surveillance = % of Hourly Temperatures Available

= % of Hourly Temperatures Used

Acoustic Analysis• Software upgrades

• Sonobat 4.0• Kaleidoscope 4.0.1• CART analysis

• Automate• Remove noise

consistently• Rapid identification• Report generation

• Activity patterns• Species presence• Reduce costs

WNS Risk Assessment • Hibernacula use• Roost conditions• Human visitation

Hibernating Bat Counts

Estimated Annual Visitation

Mean Temp and HumidityCaves and Mines

Bat Activity

Total =96

WNS Risk at Alternative Hibernacula?• Cliff

• Talus• Badlands • Others?

2016 M. Septentrionalis Surveys• 1 previous detection • 21 mist net surveys along 5

drainages • 2 individuals at 1 site• 2 acoustic detectors deployed at

mine entrances

Prairie Dog Inventory:Colony Mapping 2015 NAIP

Active

Inactive

Not active

2017 Priorities• Update status of SOC/ priority species • Continue bat acoustic and roost monitoring

• M. septentrionalis• Eastern roost surveys• Habitat use assessments to inform planning efforts• WNS risk at talus, cliff, crevice roost, other alternative hibernacula

• Develop a template and automated report for highlighting inventory and monitoring needs across all managed areas

• Pursue projects that inform statewide status assessments• “Other” sagebrush dependent species • Distribution and status of shrew species (eDNA?)• Baseline inventories of alpine species

• Continue to build a information for important invertebrates as time and funding and available information allow