Effects of Hurricane Laura on Summer Bat Activity in Central Louisiana

Hurricane frequency and intensity are projected to increase in the coming years, and there is limited data regarding the effects of hurricane damage on insectivorous bat occurrence and activity. We compared vegetation conditions and summer bat species activity (i.e., total call files and nightly activity) in bottomland hardwood forests before (June–August 2020) and after (June–August 2021) Hurricane Laura in the Catahoula Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest, LA. Basal area was lower and the total number of call files and nightly activity for Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat) were higher in 2021 after the hurricane when compared to 2020. The total number of call files and nightly activity were similar between years for Lasiurus borealis/L. seminolus (Eastern Red/Seminole Bat), Dasypterus intermedius (Northern Yellow Bat), and Tadarida brasiliensis (Mexican Free-tailed Bat). The total number of call files was higher post-hurricane for Nycticeius humeralis (Evening Bat) and lower post-hurricane for Aeorestes cinereus (Hoary Bat), Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat), and Myotis species; however, nightly activity was similar between years for these species. Responses to hurricane damage likely reflected differences in species morphologies, echolocation characteristics, and habitat requirements, as well as temporal variation in activity due to factors we did not measure.