Context Conservation for the Indiana bat ( Myotis sodalis) , a federally endangered species in the United States of America, is typically focused on local maternity sites; however, the species is a regional migrant, interacting with the environment at multiple spatial scales. Hierarchical levels of management may be necessary, but we have limited knowledge of landscape-level ecology, distribution, and connectivity of suitable areas in complex landscapes. Objectives We sought to (1) identify factors influencing M. sodalis maternity colony distribution in a mosaic landscape, (2) map suitable maternity habitat, and (3) quantify connectivity importance of patches to direct conservation action. Methods Using 3 decades of occurrence data, we tested a priori , hypothesis-driven habitat suitability models. We mapped suitable areas and quantified connectivity importance of habitat patches with probabilistic habitat availability metrics. Results Factors improving landscape-scale suitability included limited agriculture, more forest cover, forest edge, proximity to medium-sized water bodies, lower elevations, and limited urban development. Areas closer to hibernacula and rivers were suitable. Binary maps showed that 30% of the study area was suitable for M. sodalis and 29% was important for connectivity. Most suitable patches were important for intra-patch connectivity and far fewer contributed to inter-patch connectivity. Conclusions While simple models may be effective for small, homogenous landscapes, complex models are needed to explain habitat suitability in large, mixed landscapes. Suitability modeling identified factors that made sites attractive as maternity areas. Connectivity analysis improved our understanding of important areas for bats and prioritized areas to target for restoration.

中文翻译：

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栖息地适宜性和连通性模型揭示了印第安纳蝙蝠（Myotis sodalis）在复杂栖息地马赛克中的优先保护区域

印第安纳蝙蝠 (Myotis sodalis) 的环境保护是美国联邦濒危物种，通常侧重于当地的产房；然而，该物种是区域性迁徙者，在多个空间尺度上与环境相互作用。分级管理可能是必要的，但我们对复杂景观中合适区域的景观级生态、分布和连通性的了解有限。目标 我们试图 (1) 确定影响马赛克景观中 M. sodalis 产妇群落分布的因素，(2) 绘制合适的产妇栖息地，以及 (3) 量化斑块对直接保护行动的连通性重要性。方法使用 3 个十年的发生数据，我们测试了先验的、假设驱动的栖息地适宜性模型。我们用概率栖息地可用性指标绘制了合适的区域并量化了栖息地斑块的连通性重要性。结果 提高景观尺度适宜性的因素包括有限的农业、更多的森林覆盖、森林边缘、靠近中等规模的水体、低海拔和有限的城市发展。靠近冬眠和河流的地区是合适的。二元图显示 30% 的研究区域适合 M. sodalis，29% 对连通性很重要。最合适的补丁对于补丁内连接很重要，而对补丁间连接的贡献要少得多。结论 虽然简单的模型可能对小的、同质的景观有效，但需要复杂的模型来解释大型、混合景观中的栖息地适宜性。适宜性建模确定了使站点作为产房区域具有吸引力的因素。连通性分析提高了我们对蝙蝠的重要区域和恢复目标的优先区域的理解。