Silver-haired bat, Photograph by Mark Faherty, Flickr

Introduction

Silver Haired Bats are an endangered species in New Jersey and are found in deciduous and coniferous forests located in majority of the United States.  A large part of their habitat area resides in New Jersey. Their roosts are found near water sources and underneath tree bark, much like the environment in Madison, New Jersey. They are  endangered and have special concern due to deforestation, wind turbine building, and white-nose syndrome, and clear cutting.

Figure 1: Madison Silver Haired Bat Habitats (Red indicates habitats located in Madison Borough.)

Data

Map depicts Madison borough and has a numerical value showing approximately 1,419 acres of Silver Haired Bat habitat land present. Madison rests around 2,600 acres total, showing that more than half of Madison is covered in Silver Haired Bat habitat area (Red Area). Much of the habitat utilizes tree cover and canopies. Data was collected by USGS using Gap analysis in order to determine the spatial arrangement of suitable Silver Haired Bat habitats.

Results

The red coloring on the map depicted above shows areas where Silver Haired Bats have habitats in Madison Borough. They are not found in packs, usually traveling alone or in small groups. They often migrate and require around 21 snags per hectare in order to change between roosts. Some will hibernate through winters in their original roost, which in this case would be in Madison. 1,419 acres of madison are occupied by the Silver Haired Bat, more habitats are located near the western half of the borough due to more wooded area with less public traffic.

Conclusion

The Silver Haired Bat is among the most common bats in forested areas of America. They form maternity colonies in small hollows and are insectivores, eating much of the mosquito and spider population. This map shows how they have a high population in New Jersey. They live predominantly in disturbed areas such as roadways or water courses. This leaves Madison as a prime place for them to occupy as it gives plenty of room and wooded areas for them as well, as seen above.

About The Data

The data utilized in the map above is from a (USGS) survey conducted in 2018 revealing habitat distribution of the Silver Haired Bat. The survey utilizes 2001 ground conditions and shows the entire map of the United States, with a focus on Madison, New Jersey. This habitat map was created by applying a deductive habitat model to remotely-sensed data layers within the species’ known range. It was known as the Gap Analysis Project (GAP) to examine species density of the Silver Haired Bat all across the United States.

Map

Here is a link to a full one page map.

Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1A9qTULRoE9m5JuXQafAumN5bgSouw6t0R73eiCkpjV0/edit?usp=sharing