The turning of the leaves quickly slips into the shorter days dusted with flurries that have begun to obscure the chilling winter air of the Eastern Central locations of North America. This is the backdrop in which the Indiana bat will swarm to seek a mate for the incoming winter months and begin to engage in extra feedings to sustain themselves through their hibernation period. As migratory species, they will come from their summer and spring locations in the Midwest parts of the United states and descend upon caves and abandoned mines to rest through the colder months. The female Indiana bat will arrive first, potentially between the cusp of fall and winter but potentially as late as January depending on their previous location. They will fall into a long hibernation until the warmer months upon their arrival, while the males that arrive at a later stage will frequently be seen outside the location attending to later mates before they themselves begin hibernation.
With the last of the snow littering the forest floor begins to melt into the reserves of water for the flora below waiting below the frozen soil,The Indiana bats will begin to wake from their mass hibernations within. In which they have spent these colder months huddled together for warmth, raising their young, and sparingly leaving the safety of the cave. As spring begins to take shape and the days begin to be brighter and warmer they will begin track back north as a migratory species in order to find a different scenery for the sunnier seasons.They will spend their nights roosting in the crevices of the peeling bark of the Shagbark Hickory, finding mates for the upcoming year, and feasting on the new generations of insects both inside and outside of their spring and summer homes.
The Shagbark Hickory that exists in the Miami Valley area is integral to the environment around it, offering both a place for shelter of plenty of the neighboring species of fauna and plenty of different options in regard to sustenance for those same groups. While the Indiana bat or Myotis Sodalis will nest within the spaces between the bark of the tree, they also offer an integral mutualistic relationship including their dietary needs. They return to this environment in the Spring with a vicious hunger after spending the winter months using all of their energy beforehand to sustain themselves during hibernation, so they descend upon these trees as the temperatures begin to rise as a saving grace for the Hickory tree, they decide to call home.
The Hickory, in particular the Shagbark, is incredibly susceptible to disease as well as infestation. Myotis Sodalis primarily sustain themselves upon the insets in the surrounding wooded areas, this includes the beetles as well that engage in a parasitic relationship with the tree as they take nests and burrow into the tree for nutrients. Though as the web of this ecosystem extends, it becomes evident that these bats aren’t the only types of avian creatures feasting upon the parasitic beetles. The Shagbark is home to a plethora of different local birds for homing and feeding as well, such as warblers and chickadees.
Myotis Sodalis primarily sustain themselves upon the insects in the surrounding wooded areas, this includes the Hickory Bark as well beetles that engage in a parasitic relationship with the tree as they take nests and burrow into the tree for nutrients. Though as the web of this ecosystem extends, it becomes evident that these bats aren’t the only types of avian creatures feasting upon the parasitic beetles. The Shagbark is home to a plethora of different local birds for homing and feeding as well, such as warblers and chickadees. One of the main competitors that arises in regard to the feeding upon the Hickory Bark beetles that frequently infect these trees is the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Another resident that offers the ability to help sustain their living and feeding conditions through this integral dietary preference.
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is one of many birds that takes residence in the extending branches in the upper levels of the tree, venturing downward to peck into the wood in order to dig out the insects that lay underneath. One of the many insects that they feed upon in the woodlands offer the same mutualistic relationship as the bat, dining on the beetles that only cause the premature decay of the Shagbark. Though this is not the only relationship held by the centerpiece of the ecosystem–the Shagbark Hickory.
Though these are not the only intricate mutualistic relationships that the Shagbark Hickory has with the fauna in the surrounding area. There are plenty of other birds that take part in aiding the Hickory population, one of them being the Blue Jays that appear in the wooded areas of the Miami Valley. The Shagbark tree begins to produce sweet nuts when they reach maturity at about forty years, this will become one of many foraged vegetation that become a main component of the blue jays’ diet. This relationship isn’t entirely one sided, as the Blue Jays will digest the nuts and distribute the seeds among the forest to further the population of the Shagbark Hickory.
These relationships held by only a small sample of the interacting ecosystem of the forested areas of the Miami valley, particularly on campus, showcases just how complex and interdependent all fauna and flora are upon each other. The Shagbark Hickory offers shelter and a variety of food through both the beetle housed within their bark and the nuts they produce. The Indiana Bat and Red-Bellied Woodpecker are given a nesting location and aid in the health of the Shagbark through eating the parasitic beetles. Alongside the Blue Jays and other local birds that feed upon the nuts and distribute the seeds to upkeep the population of the Shagbark Hickory. With these relationships in place for the necessities of this fauna and flora, any disturbances to this balance can ripple through the rest of the ecosystem and cause further issues.
This ecosystem mentioned isn’t apart from those being actively impacted by human activity, even on campus. As the forested areas surrounding even the suburbs become smaller and smaller, the number of Indiana bats begin to dwindle. With their status as endangered, it gives way to the notion that the deforestation leads directly to lack of roosting and shelters for this species during the warmer months. While it is noted in research in an article titled Diet of the Myotis Sodalis (Indiana Bat) at an Urban/Rural Interface, they speak at length about the tendency of this species of bats to highly prefer these forested areas to anywhere else to roost in the Spring. Something that even further emphasizes the way that invasion of the forested areas for commercial timber or cosmetic values will only further cut down the population of this particular species of bat at large. As their population disappears due to lack of habitat during the spring when they are raising their young, this directly impacts the ecosystem in which they reside during this time period.
With the prior mutualistic relationships explained, the disappearance of the Indiana Bat will lead to the suffering health of the Shagbark Population. Not to mention alter the population of nearby bug life through the lack of predator that diet is primarily made up of insects. As well as hypothetically affect all of the species that interact with the Hickory. Not only will the species mentioned such as the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and Bark Beetles but all other species that have any relationship with the population with the Shagbark Hickory. Understanding not only the interactions between local fauna and flora is important but visualizing human destructive effects and the way that they can disrupt the ecosystem in negative ways is crucial.
Works Cited
“Blue Jay.” Audubon, 1 Sept. 2022, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/blue-jay.
Cope, James B., and Stephen R. Humphrey. “Spring and Autumn Swarming Behavior in the Indiana Bat, Myotis Sodalis.” Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 58, no. 1, Feb. 1977, pp. 93–95. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/10.2307/1379736.
Divoll, Timothy J., et al. “Endangered Myotis Bats Forage in Regeneration Openings in a Managed Forest.” Forest Ecology and Management, vol. 503, Jan. 2022. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119757.
“Hickory Bark Beetle (Scolytus Quadrispinosus).” Midwest Invasive Species Network, www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=244&cname=Hickory%20bark%20beetle. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
“Indiana Bat.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Bats/Indiana-Bat. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Miller, Karl. Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes Carolinus - Birds of the World. 2020, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rebwoo/cur/introduction.
“Shagbark Hickory.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Shagbark-Hickory. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Shagbark Hickory (Carya Ovata). www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/shbk_hickory.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Tuttle, Nicole M., et al. “Diet of the Myotis Sodalis (Indiana Bat) at an Urban/Rural Interface.” NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST, vol. 13, no. 3, Jan. 2006, pp. 435–42. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswsc&AN=000241460200009&site=eds-live
With the last of the snow littering the forest floor begins to melt into the reserves of water for the flora below waiting below the frozen soil,The Indiana bats will begin to wake from their mass hibernations within. In which they have spent these colder months huddled together for warmth, raising their young, and sparingly leaving the safety of the cave. As spring begins to take shape and the days begin to be brighter and warmer they will begin track back north as a migratory species in order to find a different scenery for the sunnier seasons.They will spend their nights roosting in the crevices of the peeling bark of the Shagbark Hickory, finding mates for the upcoming year, and feasting on the new generations of insects both inside and outside of their spring and summer homes.
The Shagbark Hickory that exists in the Miami Valley area is integral to the environment around it, offering both a place for shelter of plenty of the neighboring species of fauna and plenty of different options in regard to sustenance for those same groups. While the Indiana bat or Myotis Sodalis will nest within the spaces between the bark of the tree, they also offer an integral mutualistic relationship including their dietary needs. They return to this environment in the Spring with a vicious hunger after spending the winter months using all of their energy beforehand to sustain themselves during hibernation, so they descend upon these trees as the temperatures begin to rise as a saving grace for the Hickory tree, they decide to call home.
The Hickory, in particular the Shagbark, is incredibly susceptible to disease as well as infestation. Myotis Sodalis primarily sustain themselves upon the insets in the surrounding wooded areas, this includes the beetles as well that engage in a parasitic relationship with the tree as they take nests and burrow into the tree for nutrients. Though as the web of this ecosystem extends, it becomes evident that these bats aren’t the only types of avian creatures feasting upon the parasitic beetles. The Shagbark is home to a plethora of different local birds for homing and feeding as well, such as warblers and chickadees.
Myotis Sodalis primarily sustain themselves upon the insects in the surrounding wooded areas, this includes the Hickory Bark as well beetles that engage in a parasitic relationship with the tree as they take nests and burrow into the tree for nutrients. Though as the web of this ecosystem extends, it becomes evident that these bats aren’t the only types of avian creatures feasting upon the parasitic beetles. The Shagbark is home to a plethora of different local birds for homing and feeding as well, such as warblers and chickadees. One of the main competitors that arises in regard to the feeding upon the Hickory Bark beetles that frequently infect these trees is the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Another resident that offers the ability to help sustain their living and feeding conditions through this integral dietary preference.
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is one of many birds that takes residence in the extending branches in the upper levels of the tree, venturing downward to peck into the wood in order to dig out the insects that lay underneath. One of the many insects that they feed upon in the woodlands offer the same mutualistic relationship as the bat, dining on the beetles that only cause the premature decay of the Shagbark. Though this is not the only relationship held by the centerpiece of the ecosystem–the Shagbark Hickory.
Though these are not the only intricate mutualistic relationships that the Shagbark Hickory has with the fauna in the surrounding area. There are plenty of other birds that take part in aiding the Hickory population, one of them being the Blue Jays that appear in the wooded areas of the Miami Valley. The Shagbark tree begins to produce sweet nuts when they reach maturity at about forty years, this will become one of many foraged vegetation that become a main component of the blue jays’ diet. This relationship isn’t entirely one sided, as the Blue Jays will digest the nuts and distribute the seeds among the forest to further the population of the Shagbark Hickory.
These relationships held by only a small sample of the interacting ecosystem of the forested areas of the Miami valley, particularly on campus, showcases just how complex and interdependent all fauna and flora are upon each other. The Shagbark Hickory offers shelter and a variety of food through both the beetle housed within their bark and the nuts they produce. The Indiana Bat and Red-Bellied Woodpecker are given a nesting location and aid in the health of the Shagbark through eating the parasitic beetles. Alongside the Blue Jays and other local birds that feed upon the nuts and distribute the seeds to upkeep the population of the Shagbark Hickory. With these relationships in place for the necessities of this fauna and flora, any disturbances to this balance can ripple through the rest of the ecosystem and cause further issues.
This ecosystem mentioned isn’t apart from those being actively impacted by human activity, even on campus. As the forested areas surrounding even the suburbs become smaller and smaller, the number of Indiana bats begin to dwindle. With their status as endangered, it gives way to the notion that the deforestation leads directly to lack of roosting and shelters for this species during the warmer months. While it is noted in research in an article titled Diet of the Myotis Sodalis (Indiana Bat) at an Urban/Rural Interface, they speak at length about the tendency of this species of bats to highly prefer these forested areas to anywhere else to roost in the Spring. Something that even further emphasizes the way that invasion of the forested areas for commercial timber or cosmetic values will only further cut down the population of this particular species of bat at large. As their population disappears due to lack of habitat during the spring when they are raising their young, this directly impacts the ecosystem in which they reside during this time period.
With the prior mutualistic relationships explained, the disappearance of the Indiana Bat will lead to the suffering health of the Shagbark Population. Not to mention alter the population of nearby bug life through the lack of predator that diet is primarily made up of insects. As well as hypothetically affect all of the species that interact with the Hickory. Not only will the species mentioned such as the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and Bark Beetles but all other species that have any relationship with the population with the Shagbark Hickory. Understanding not only the interactions between local fauna and flora is important but visualizing human destructive effects and the way that they can disrupt the ecosystem in negative ways is crucial.
Works Cited
“Blue Jay.” Audubon, 1 Sept. 2022, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/blue-jay.
Cope, James B., and Stephen R. Humphrey. “Spring and Autumn Swarming Behavior in the Indiana Bat, Myotis Sodalis.” Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 58, no. 1, Feb. 1977, pp. 93–95. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/10.2307/1379736.
Divoll, Timothy J., et al. “Endangered Myotis Bats Forage in Regeneration Openings in a Managed Forest.” Forest Ecology and Management, vol. 503, Jan. 2022. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119757.
“Hickory Bark Beetle (Scolytus Quadrispinosus).” Midwest Invasive Species Network, www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=244&cname=Hickory%20bark%20beetle. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
“Indiana Bat.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Bats/Indiana-Bat. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Miller, Karl. Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes Carolinus - Birds of the World. 2020, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rebwoo/cur/introduction.
“Shagbark Hickory.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Shagbark-Hickory. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Shagbark Hickory (Carya Ovata). www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/shbk_hickory.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2022.
Tuttle, Nicole M., et al. “Diet of the Myotis Sodalis (Indiana Bat) at an Urban/Rural Interface.” NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST, vol. 13, no. 3, Jan. 2006, pp. 435–42. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswsc&AN=000241460200009&site=eds-live