UCF Aiding Healthy Ecosystems Through Bat Conservation Advancements

Highlights

• UCF researchers and students have facilitated a partnership with the UCF Arboretum and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to improve conservation science through a bat monitoring program.

• Florida is home to 13 resident bat species, and acoustic detectors placed strategically on UCF's main campus record the flying mammals' high-frequency hunting calls throughout the night, allowing researchers to compare bat presence and relative activity.

• Although UCF's geographic grid cell is relatively small, its urban and suburban context fills important gaps in regional datasets.

• UCF's data are submitted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and ultimately contribute to broader analyses coordinated with Bat Conservation International, informing wildlife action plans and habitat management strategies.

A UCF Department of Biology doctoral student has helped position UCF as a contributor to the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), a coordinated effort to track bat populations across North America using standardized acoustic methods.

Southeastern Myotis Bat (FWC photo by Karen Parker, no changes were made)

Research Path Rooted in Responsibility

Ifer White, who serves as a graduate teaching associate while pursuing a Ph.D. in integrative and conservation biology, describes herself as a non-traditional student whose educational journey has been shaped by family, service and resilience.

"My Muscogee-Creek heritage has deeply influenced how I view the natural world, not as something separate from us, but as something we are accountable to," White says. "That worldview has guided my commitment to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation for more than a decade, and specifically to bat rehabilitation for the past seven years."

Florida is home to 13 resident bat species, including the Brazilian free-tailed bat and the southeastern myotis. These highly specialized creatures are the only mammals capable of sustained flight and play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. They help control insect populations-consuming thousands in a single night-while also contributing to pollination, seed dispersal, and more.

"My work is driven by a desire to ensure these often-misunderstood animals continue to thrive in increasingly human-dominated landscapes," White says.

Bringing NABat to UCF

As a board member of the Florida Bat Working Group and the Florida Bat Conservancy, White saw an opportunity to integrate applied conservation science with campus engagement. She approached the Florida Fish and Wildlif Conservation Commission and UCF Arboretum leadership about adding the university to the NABat monitoring grid.

"Because there are known bat colonies on campus, participation was a natural fit." - Ifer White, doctoral student

"The North American Bat Monitoring Program provides a standardized framework for long-term bat population monitoring across the continent," White says. "Because there are known bat colonies on campus, participation was a natural fit."

Although UCF's geographic grid cell is relatively small, its urban and suburban context fills important gaps in regional datasets.

"Urban and suburban monitoring locations are underrepresented in many long-term datasets," White says. "The acoustic data collected on campus help fill knowledge gaps in Central Florida and the broader southeastern region."

(Far left) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Volunteer Coordinator of the Northeast Region (FWC NE), Paul Jacobs, training UCF undergraduate volunteers on the setup of the acoustic monitoring station.

The Science Behind Acoustic Monitoring

Bats navigate and hunt using echolocation, emitting ultrasonic calls that are species-specific in frequency and structure. Acoustic detectors placed strategically on UCF's main campus record these high-frequency calls throughout the night.

"Detectors are deployed for multiple consecutive nights each quarter," White says. "Recordings are processed using specialized acoustic software that filters out noise and classifies calls to species or species groups based on call parameters."

These measurements allow researchers to compare bat presence and relative activity across sites and over time.

"In wildlife conservation, data comparability is everything," White says. "Without standardized methods, datasets become fragmented and difficult to interpret."

UCF's data are submitted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and ultimately contribute to broader analyses coordinated with Bat Conservation International, informing wildlife action plans and habitat management strategies.

Turning Research into Action

White's dissertation research focuses on ecotoxicology, host-pathogen dynamics and immunogenetics in bats. While distinct from the monitoring project, she says understanding species presence and habitat use provides essential ecological context for studying environmental stressors.

"Bats are often misunderstood, yet they are essential components of healthy ecosystems."

Acoustic data will also help determine which species are using campus habitats and guide potential enhancements, such as strategically placed bat houses and expanded native, night-blooming plantings to support nocturnal insect populations.

"Bats are often misunderstood, yet they are essential components of healthy ecosystems," White says. "Every action [we take] contributes to long-term conservation."

This research and the skills and tactics she's putting to use with this project are directly transferable to the careers Knights with similar research backgrounds can pursue after graduation in wildlife agencies and environmental consulting.

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