Bat populations are declining worldwide because of threats such as white-nose syndrome and habitat loss. Multiple-year studies are advantageous for looking at population trends over time and determining the extent of declines. While numerous multiple-year studies have been conducted for bats, they are limited in regional and local coverage. This study compiled the results of 282 walking surveys across 10 years of acoustic bat recording data collected in 3 northwest Ohio parks from 2011 to 2021 to examine temporal trends in bat activity. Overall bat activity (all species combined, average per night) decreased from 2011 to 2018 but showed a slight positive trend from 2019 to 2021. Average activity per night for big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis), and little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) decreased significantly (75%, 95%, and 33% decreases from 2011 to 2021, respectively). Average activity per night of hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) increased significantly in activity until 2016 (169% and 163% increase from 2011 to 2016, respectively) before decreasing in activity to be closer to initial levels, although their general trend in activity was positive overall (92% and 32% increase from 2011 to 2021, respectively). These data show the advantages of monitoring bat activity over more years to make inferences about population trends. Significant decreases in activity for big brown, little brown, and northern long-eared bats from 2011 to 2021 suggest alterations in bat community structure. These results illustrate a decline in overall bat activity over the last decade. This study also provides an example of volunteer-collected long-term bat monitoring data.

As human‐modified landscape and climate changes proliferate, maintaining biodiversity and understanding the function and quality of available habitat is imperative. As anurans (frogs/toads) such as Pseudacris crucifer, can be an indicator species of habitat quality and ecosystem productivity, studying the anuran community in a mixed‐land use region provides an opportunity to better understand the relationship between species and landscape modification. We explored the relationship between anurans and ecosystem productivity by assessing the effects of spatial and temporal heterogeneity on the presence of anurans across a land use gradient. Within the Toledo Metropolitan Area, including the biodiversity hotspot Oak Openings Region, we surveyed 67 different wetlands (n = 1800) over three years. There was a difference in community assemblage between rural and suburban/urban habitats driven by human modification (impervious surface), composition (landcover type) and productivity (NDVI). The variation in spatial structure but lack of variation in temporal variables suggest spatial factors explain differences in the anuran community among sites. Areas with more impervious surfaces, lower amounts of swamp forest, and lower NDVI generally had significantly fewer anuran species (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.013), significantly lower average species per survey (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, p = 0.005), and lower relative abundance of anurans. Utilizing generalized linear mixed modeling (=GLMM), we found that P. crucifer relative abundance (p = 0.006) and greater species richness (p = 0.021) were the best predictors of ecosystem productivity. Our research demonstrates the value of non‐invasive anuran call surveys to assess ecosystem productivity and species richness on a large scale, while also offering a method to evaluate conservation efforts internationally. This scalable approach can be applied anywhere with available environmental data, and we recommend utilizing anurans as indicator taxa for understanding ecosystem function, especially in human‐modified landscapes.

Within the growing literature about allyship in the workplace, few studies have specifically addressed faculty allyship for faculty colleagues. Previous studies on faculty allyship for inclusive academic environments address only men's contributions as allies. Using an expansive definition of faculty allyship and including any faculty members with membership in at least one dominant social group, we sought to better understand how faculty members perceive allyship, their concerns about allyship, and how those perceptions vary by gender, race, and rank. We examined the responses of faculty who participated in an allyship training program that was offered at a university in Ohio, USA as part of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant intended to reduce gender inequity among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty. We framed this study by employing Hardiman et al.'s (2007) three-dimensional matrix of oppression and used a mixed-method research design. Participants' primary concerns about engaging in allyship related to their academic rank. We offer several implications for policies, practices, and future research on faculty allyship for faculty colleagues by considering positional power and rank as well as race and gender.

Poor understanding of population locations of study species can limit the effectiveness of management and transferability of research results. Additionally, it is essential to understand landscape factors that are contributing to species diversity and population declines, if they are to be mitigated with conservation action. Anurans are the most threatened vertebrate taxa worldwide, as well as an excellent indicator taxa for conservation purposes. Species Distribution Modeling, using Maxent, provides an opportunity to map both population occurrence and elucidate landscape factors that impact Anuran populations, which in turn can help inform species/habitat conservation efforts. We utilized Maxent modeling and species occurrence from previous Anuran auditory surveying to identify population occurrence throughout our study region and determine which landscape variables affect species richness. We found that urban and suburban areas harbored a limited number of locations across the landscape that are suitable for greater Anuran richness. We found that the presence of cropland in the surrounding area was the factor that most negatively influenced species richness. Cropland was followed by the amount of urban landcover and the amount of impervious surface. Swamp forest and greater NDVI were the variables that most consistently related to an increase in species richness or presence of a specific species, though their model contributions were generally far lower than aforementioned negative influential variables. This framework can be applied to any area with suitable landcover maps with Anurans present, and can also be used, via using Anurans as indicators, to identify locations for habitat and species conservation.

Protected areas are important for wildlife, especially in heavily developed areas. Bats are one group utilizing protected areas, but it is unclear what makes an ideal place for bats to live in parks, especially since preferences vary between open and forest foraging species and at different scales. The main objective of this study was to determine the landscape and vegetation factors at multiple scales most associated with higher bat activity and species richness in protected parks. Total bat activity, species richness, and activity for open and forested foraging species were compared to small-scale data vegetation structure collected in the field and larger-scale landscape data calculated in ArcGIS and FRAGSTATS. Bat activity and species richness increased with higher percentages of dry and open land cover types such as sand barrens, savanna, cropland, and upland prairie and decreased with higher percentages of forest and wet prairies. Patch richness, understory height, and clutter at the 3–6.5 m level were negatively associated with total bat activity. The most important variables for bats differed depending on spatial scale measured and if species were open or forest adapted. When managing for bats in parks, it would be advantageous to restore open land cover types such as savanna and mid-level clutter, and excessive fragmentation. Whether species are open or forest adapted and scale-specific differences should also be considered.

Roads have variable impacts on wildlife, including bats. Bat habitat preferences along roads are dependent on spatial/temporal scale and species. This creates the need for habitat studies incorporating multiple scales and years. The objectives of this study were to determine habitat factors impacting bat activity and species richness along road transects at local and landscape scales and to identify areas of highest bat activity. Bat activity and richness was compared to local-scale field data and landscape-scale data measured in ArcGIS and FRAGSTATS. Hotspot analysis was conducted in ArcGIS to determine areas of highest bat activity. At the local scale, bat activity and/or species richness were positively associated with canopy height, clutter (percent obstruction by vegetation or other objects) at 0–3 m, humidity, natural habitat, canopy cover, months water present, and temperature, and were negatively associated with clutter at 3–6.5 m. At the landscape scale, activity and/or richness had positive associations with habitat heterogeneity, roads, open natural habitats, ponds, upland prairie, and overall forest cover, and had negative associations with conifers and cropland. High activity areas were consistent between years and clustered near protected areas. Low activity areas were typically located near agriculture. When managing bat habitat along roads, it would be advantageous to decrease mid-level clutter, vary habitat types, increase savanna cover, avoid excessive conifer or cropland cover, plant tall trees, and provide water sources. This study shows that combining acoustic road surveys with habitat analyses at multiple scales can be used to examine habitat factors influencing bat activity and species richness.

As individuals who use their privilege to reduce prejudice, educate others about social justice, and actively stop discrimination, faculty allies can play a vital role in transforming universities to be more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. However, discrepancies persist in how faculty define privilege and communicate allyship. Drawing from standpoint theory, we examined discursive divergences in how 105 full-time faculty defined and experienced privilege and how they enacted allyship in the workplace. Participants tended to conceptualize privilege as a set of advantages and lack of structural barriers for people based on their group membership(s). Discursive differences emerged regarding the degree to which faculty participants perceived privilege to be un/earned and rooted in structural power, and some participants took ownership of their social privilege while others discursively elided it. When asked to identify specific ally actions, participants often described broad behaviors that aimed to help individuals in interpersonal contexts but did not address actions aimed at dismantling inequitable power structures, revising biased policies, and transforming toxic organizational cultures. Our findings highlight the need for trainings that clarify conceptualizations of privilege and help faculty translate their understanding of allyship into communicative actions that stop discrimination at interpersonal and institutional levels.

Landscape change is an ongoing process for even the most established landscapes, especially in context to urban intensification and growth. As urbanization increases over the next century, supporting bird species’ populations within urbanizing areas remains an important conservation challenge. Fundamental elements of the biophysical structure of urban environments in which bird species likely respond include tree cover and human infrastructure. We broadly examine how tree cover and urban development structure bird species distributions along the urban-rural gradient across multiple spatial scales. We established a regional sampling design within the Oak Openings Region of northwestern, Ohio, USA, to survey bird species distributions across an extensive urbanization gradient. Through occupancy modeling, we obtained standardized effects of bird species response to local and landscape-scale predictors and found that landscape tree cover influenced the most species, followed by landscape impervious surface, local building density, and local tree cover. We found that responses varied according to habitat affiliation and migratory distance of individual bird species. Distributions of short-distance, edge habitat species located towards the rural end of the gradient were explained primarily by low levels of urbanization and potential vegetative and supplemental resources associated with these areas, while forest species distributions were primarily related to increasing landscape tree cover. Our findings accentuate the importance of scale relative to urbanization and help target where potential actions may arise to benefit bird diversity. Management will likely need to be implemented by municipal governments and agencies to promote tree cover at landscape scale, followed by residential land management education for private landowners. These approaches will be vital in sustaining biodiversity in urbanizing landscapes as urban growth expands over the next century.

Anthropogenic alterations to landscapes have increased as the human population continues to rise, leading to detrimental changes in natural habitats. Ecological restoration assists in recovery by altering habitats to improve conditions and foster biodiversity. We examined land cover changes over time within a complex, dynamic region in the Midwest to assess the long-term effects of conservation. We used Landsat 8 bands for a 15-class land cover map of Oak Openings Region using supervised classification. We validated our map and achieved an overall accuracy of 71.2% from correctly classified points out of total visited points. Change over 10 years, from 2006 to 2016, was explored by comparing class statistics from FRAGSTATS between our map and original land cover map. We found that natural land, i.e., forest and early successional, covered 33%, with 10% permanently protected, while human-modified land, i.e., agricultural and developed, covered 67% of the region. Over 10 years, natural classes increased, and cultural classes decreased by 5.8%. There were decreases for the three forest communities and increases for the two early successional communities. These changes are likely the result of natural recovery and disturbance, and conservation efforts by the Green Ribbon Initiative. Changes in habitat also came with distribution changes, e.g., increased fragmentation for some classes, which was readily visible. Our useful method measured functionality by emphasizing changes in composition and configuration. Our approach provides a tool for assessing cumulative regional-scale effects from site-level management and conservation. This large-scale view for conservation is needed to effectively mitigate future changes.

An unprecedented rate of global climate change as a result of human impacts has affected both endotherms and ectotherms. This is of special concern for ectotherms, such as reptiles, as these species are suffering from large population declines and lack the dispersal ability of other taxa. There are many protected areas across the United States; however, these areas are fragmented, which hinders dispersal. We examined species distribution and dispersal capabilities for Terrapene carolina carolina, a relatively narrow range, low dispersal, and vulnerable species. We created climatic suitability models to predict changes in suitable habitat and identified important predictor variables. We modeled three time periods using MaxEnt and hypothesized that there would be an increase in northern habitat. We found that most of the suitable habitat changed at the northern end of the range and that mean temperature of driest quarter had the most influence on future predictions. Overall there were relatively moderate changes in suitable habitat, but where these changes occur affects accessibility. As an example, we examined these local scale movements within Oak Openings Region and found that individuals are capable of dispersing to new suitable habitats; however, other physical barriers will hinder movements. In conclusion, there is a critical need to protect this vulnerable reptilian species and our results suggest that T. c. carolina will expand their distribution northward. We suggest that land managers increase connectivity among protected areas to facilitate dispersal, but future studies should incorporate other dynamic ecological factors at finer spatial scale.

The invasive emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) has caused significant ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) mortality and cascading forest changes in the United States. We quantitatively estimated the viability of a local green ash tree (F. pennsylvanica) population to evaluate the magnitude of change caused by EAB. We developed historic and worst case stochastic stage based population scenarios to model changes in viability for a natural stand of green ash trees. Historic parameters were based on the literature, and worst case parameters were based on field data and the literature during dates that reflect time periods before and after EAB impacted the focal population in Northwest Ohio. The worst case scenario assumed that parameters remained the same as the initial LAB attack, when many of the adult trees died after a few years. The ash annual population growth rates were estimated as 0.99 and0.76, respectively, in historic versus worst case scenarios. The historic scenario had a population trajectory that dipped slightly at first and then reduced slowly over time. This was not unexpected since we included stochasticity in plant survival and reproduction, but it showed that the model may not account for ecological variation that stabilizes ash tree populations in forests under favorable conditions. In the worst case scenario ash populations became locally extinct within 34 years, and changes in the population growth rate were more sensitive to changes in the survival of the < 1 cm diameter at breast height stage class. Caution is warranted given the high variability and stochasticity within the system, and the trajectory can change if post-LAB population dynamics differ from initial EAB invasion dynamics or if human intervention occurs. The use of PVA allows us to quickly identify factors that influence the population viability of species, allowing for the development of strategies that prevent further species endangerment.

Although the demand for faculty service has increased substantially in recent years, the workload is not shared equitably among tenure-track faculty (Guarino & Borden, 2017; Pyke, 2011). Women faculty tend to spend more time on service activities than men, and they tend to perform important yet less institutionally recognized forms of service like mentoring, committee work, emotional labor, and organizational climate control (Babcock, Recalde. Vesterlund, & Weingart, 2017; Misra, Lundquist. Holmes, & Agiomavritis, 2011). Drawing from the theory of gendered organizations (Acker, 1990), this interview study examined how institutional gender biases impact the visibility and evaluation of faculty service across the tenure-track career trajectory. Our findings reveal how task-oriented forms of service tend to be more visible and valued than relationally oriented service. In addition to addressing a gap in the literature, our study presents practical recommendations to make service more visible, valuable, and equitable across faculty ranks and gender identities.

Few ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) have survived the initial devastation that emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis) has caused in natural populations. We studied green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) trees in a floodplain population after >90% of ash had died from EAB infestation. We examined the relationship among the canopy health classes of surviving ash trees and their nearest neighboring trees (within 6 m) and available soil nutrients. A subset of focal ash trees was randomly selected within health classes ranging from healthy to recently deceased. Focal trees with the healthiest canopy class had significantly fewer ash neighbors compared to declining health classes. Other species of tree neighbors did not have a significant impact on surviving ash tree canopy health. Nutrients in soils immediately surrounding focal trees were compared among health classes. Samples from treeless areas were also used for comparison. There was a significantly greater amount of sulfur (ppm) and phosphorus (mg/kg) in ash tree soil compared to treeless area soil. The relationships between these soil nutrient differences may be from nutrient effects on trees, tree effects on nutrients, or microsite variation in flooded areas. Our data do not directly assess whether these ash trees with healthier canopies have increased resistance to EAB but do indicate that at neighborhood scales in EAB aftermath forests, the surviving ash trees have healthier canopies when separated at least 6 m from other ash trees. This research highlights scale-dependent neighborhood composition drivers of tree susceptibility to pests and suggests that drivers during initial infestation differ from drivers in aftermath forests.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is a threatened species that occurs in habitats frequently targeted by prescribed burns. There have been reports of massasauga mortality as a result of prescribed fires, but little is known regarding the indirect effects of fire on this species. The objective of this study was to monitor massasaugas during a prescribed fire to assess direct and indirect effects. We initially implanted radio transmitters in 13 massasaugas inhabiting an area targeted for periodic prescribed fires and tracked them following a prescribed fire to determine burn related-mortality and behavioral influences. Data loggers, temperature sensitive paint, and measuring posts were used to record detailed fire data. Of the five snakes on the burn unit at the time, two died as a result of the fire. No differences were observed in daily movements and home range sizes between burn categories (in the burn, same site not in the burn and at a nearby unburned site). Snakes on and off the burn unit at the same site exhibited the same habitat preference for wetland habitats, whereas snakes at the control site preferred herbaceous areas. Slight differences were observed in microhabitat selection related to litter depth, surface light intensity, distance to water, and surface temperature. The snakes did not appear to alter their seasonal activities as a result of the prescribed fire. The results of this study suggest ways to minimize impacts from prescribed fires on massasauga populations.

A large emergence of bats from a roost tree or more commonly a cave, provide birds of prey, especially owls, with an improved opportunity to capture bats. Away from these concentrated bat communities, bats are thought to make up an insignificant portion of owl diets. However, little research has investigated if bats perceive owls as a potential predatory threat. We conducted acoustic bat surveys to assess if bat activity was altered by the presence of owl calls or ambient nocturnal noise. Our surveys found no difference in the level of bat activity recorded before or during broadcasted owl calls or nocturnal noise. It is possible bats do not respond to calling owls because bats do not perceive owls as a threat. Additional studies may elucidate the relationship (if any) between bats and owls.

Protected areas may function as islands of habitat in otherwise adverse environments for many species of North American animals.It is currently unclear how to maintain suitable foraging habitat for bats within these areas.Bats are nocturnal and highly mobile, making their specific needs difficult to determine.Using data collected from acoustically surveyed sites within protected areas in the Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio, a biodiversity hotspot, we developed spatially explicit macrohabitat models using maximum entropy modeling (Maxent).We then used data collected by citizen scientists to test these models to determine their success in predicting species presence.We found that the models were successful (AUC values > 0.75) at predicting the occurrence of the seven species for which models were developed, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiuruscinereus, Myotis lucifugus, Myotiss eptentrionalis, Nycticeius humeralis, and Perimyotis subflavus.Within protected areas, it is important to manage for heterogeneous habitat composition at this intermediate scale to maintain potential for foraging areas for all occurring bat species.Data collected by citizen scientists is useful to test spatially explicit models and can potentially be used to monitor long term changes in bat species composition in these systems and across regions.

Impacts of human land use pose an increasing threat to global biodiversity. Resource managers must respond rapidly to this threat by assessing existing natural areas and prioritizing conservation actions across multiple spatial scales. Plant species richness is a useful measure of biodiversity but typically can only be evaluated on small portions of a given landscape. Modeling relationships between spatial heterogeneity and species richness may allow conservation planners to make predictions of species richness patterns within unsampled areas. We utilized a combination of field data, remotely sensed data, and landscape pattern metrics to develop models of native and exotic plant species richness at two spatial extents (60- and 120-m windows) and at four ecological levels for northwestern Ohio’s Oak Openings region. Multiple regression models explained 37–77 % of the variation in plant species richness. These models consistently explained more variation in exotic richness than in native richness. Exotic richness was better explained at the 120-m extent while native richness was better explained at the 60-m extent. Land cover composition of the surrounding landscape was an important component of all models. We found that percentage of human-modified land cover (negatively correlated with native richness and positively correlated with exotic richness) was a particularly useful predictor of plant species richness and that human-caused disturbances exert a strong influence on species richness patterns within a mixed-disturbance oak savanna landscape. Our results emphasize the importance of using a multi-scale approach to examine the complex relationships between spatial heterogeneity and plant species richness.

Wild blue lupine (Lupinus perennis) in the Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio is an important nitrogen fixer and serves as an essential food source for the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). In order to examine potential factors that might be affecting mice predation on wild blue lupine seeds in oak savannas, we used seed trays placed in the open or on the forested edge to estimate seed predation rate. We recorded management histories, performed vegetation surveys, and used GIS to find spatial variables related to prescribed burning and edge to assess how they affect seed predation. Our major findings were that seed removal by mice for the summer averaged across sites was 22%, seed removal varied significantly across time (P < 0.05), and was more likely in areas with increased crypto-biotic crust (P < 0.0001). Seed predation rates increased under more prescribed burns over the last 10 y (P = 0.034) and 19 years (P = 0.0001). This leads us to support current management practices of a rotation of prescribed burning in open to partially closed canopy areas to create a balance between promoting lupine growth and minimal seed predation.