Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses August 2020 Habitat Relationships of Bat Species of Conservation Concern in Coastal South Carolina Kyle Edward Shute Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Recommended Citation Shute, Kyle Edward, "Habitat Relationships of Bat Species of Conservation Concern in Coastal South Carolina" (2020). All Theses. 3374. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3374 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS OF BAT SPEICIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Wildlife and Fisheries Biology by Kyle Shute August 2020 Accepted by: David S. Jachowski, Committee Chair Susan C. Loeb Catherine B. Jachowski ABSTRACT Loss of forest habitat used for roosting and nocturnal activity by bats is a conservation concern in the southeastern United States. The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius), tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), and northern yellow bat (Lasiurus intermedius) all occur within the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, where their greatest conservation threat is loss of critical roosting and foraging habitats. However, little research has been conducted on these species of conservation concern in this region, leaving gaps in information about habitat associations that would inform conservation and management as forest loss continues due to logging, agriculture, urban development, and intense storm events.