Data for: Changes in summer bat captures in the Black Hills, South Dakota, after white-nose syndrome invasion
Data files
Apr 10, 2026 version files 234.18 KB
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Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv
63.70 KB
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JM_figure_code.Rmd
38.24 KB
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Nightly_Capture_Effort_updated2024.csv
15.29 KB
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Nightly_Capture_Rates_Spp_Updated.csv
55.86 KB
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NOAA_data_black-hillsSD.Rmd
5.69 KB
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PercentChange_updated2025_JECA.csv
352 B
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PercentChange_updated2025.csv
391 B
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Proportion_of_Capture_-_Yearly_updated2024.csv
1.27 KB
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Proportion_of_Capture_JECA.csv
1.02 KB
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README.md
13.01 KB
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Stage_Capture_Rate_updated2024.csv
1.08 KB
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Tagged_Bats.xlsx
38.28 KB
Abstract
Hibernating bat populations in North America are declining due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has recently spread into the northern Great Plains. First confirmed in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 2018, WNS now threatens regional bat communities. To assess how western bat populations respond to WNS, we analyzed mist-net survey data from two phases: invasion (2017–2019) and establishment (2022–2024), comparing capture rates across species. Four Myotis species declined by over 95%: fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) and long-legged myotis (M. volans) by 96%, and the federally endangered northern myotis (M. septentrionalis) by 98%. In contrast, four less susceptible species saw capture rates increase by over 200% during the establishment phase. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), which are not susceptible to WNS, showed a more modest increase (64%). These results suggest that WNS impacts in western bat populations mirror eastern post-WNS population trends, and that some western species (M. thysanodes and M. volans) are at high risk of disease-driven extirpation. However, the marked increases in less susceptible species indicate that non-disease drivers may be influencing bat populations in western states, warranting independent study.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.3tx95x6t7
Description of the data and file structure
Funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Funding for data collection was provided by the National Park Service, the Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the American Society of Mammalogists, and the University of Wyoming's Department of Zoology and Physiology.
Files and variables
Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu; Dr. Riley F. Bernard, Principle Investigator Bernard Research Lab, University of Wyoming; rbernar5@uwyo.edu
Date of data collection: May - September 2017 - 2019 & 2022 - 2024
Geographic location of data collection: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota. Mist netting took place in May-September on federal lands: Wind Cave National Park (WICA); Jewel Cave National Monument (JECA); Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU); and the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF)
The csv entitled "Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv" includes capture net-specific capture effort data from nightly mist-net surveys during the 2017 - 2019 and 2022 - 2024 survey period. For example, there were two nets deployed at Elk Mountain Spring on 05/31/2022: Net A and Net B. The total effort for Elk Mountain Spring on 05/31/2022 is = Net A Capture Effort + Net B Capture Effort. Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv breaks down the net-specific capture effort, while Nightly_Capture_Effort_updated2024.csv contains the nightly effort.
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
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Date - MM/DD/YYYY of mist net survey
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Year - YYYY of mist net survey
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Stage - white-nose syndrome disease stage
* Invasion stage (2017 - 2019) \* Established stage (2022 - 2024) -
Team.Lead - Abbreviation of lead crew member (i.e. held the federal and state handling permit) during the survey season.
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Site.Name - 4 letter code related to mist netting location.
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park_unit - 4 letter code of associated NPS park unit where mist netting occurred.
JECA = Jewel Cave National Monument; MORU = Mount Rushmore National Park; WICA = Wind Cave National Park
- Net.Name - net identifier for when when multiple nets were deployed (A-D)
- Open_1 = MM/DD/YYY HH:MM; time when a net was opened
- Close_1 = MM/DD/YYY HH:MM; time when a net was closed
- Time_Open_1 = Time in HH:MM that a net was open for surveys. Read as "net X was open for HH hours and MM minutes"
- Open_2 = MM/DD/YYY HH:MM; time when a net was opened a second time (following brief closure for weather, processing, etc)
- Close_2 = MM/DD/YYY HH:MM; time when a net was closed following a second opening
- Time_Open_2 = Time in HH:MM that a net was open for surveys upon a second opening. Read as "net X was open for HH hours and MM minutes"
- Total.Time.Open = Sum of Time_Open_1 and Time_Open_2. . Read as "net X was open for a total HH hours and MM minutes"
- Hours = total hours a net was open, taken from HH in Total.Time.Open
- Minutes = minutes a net was open, taken from MM in Total.Time.Open
- Total.Net.Hours = Total hours that a net was open, converted to decimal format. This converts HH:MM time to decimal hours by dividing minutes by 60. For example, if a net was open for 5 hours and 33 minutes, Total.Net.Hours = 5.55 (calculated as 5 + 33/60 = 5.55 hours).
- Net.Length = Length of mist net in meters (m)
- Net.Height = Height of mist net in meters (m). The standard single high was 2.6m. Double highs were 4.7m, and triple high set-ups were 6.5m. We accounted for overlap between the set-up of single highs in the double- and triple- net configurations.
- Net.Area = Net.Length*Net.Height, in m2
- Net.Capture.Eff = Capture Effort of a single net, calculated as Net.Area × Total.Net.Hours (m²h)
Nightly_Capture_Effort_updated2024.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
Date of data collection: May - September 2017 - 2019 & 2022 - 2024
Geographic location of data collection: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota. Mist netting took place in May-September in federal lands: Wind Cave National Park (WICA); Jewel Cave National Monument (JECA); Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU); and the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF)
The csv entitled Nightly_Capture_Effort_updated2024.csv includes total nightly capture effort and net area for each site. Values are calculated by summing net-specific data from "Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv". For example, the total effort for Elk Mountain Spring on 05/31/2022 equals the sum of capture effort from all nets deployed at that site on that date (Net A + Net B + etc.).
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
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Date - MM/DD/YYYY of mist net survey
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Site.Name - 4 letter code related to mist netting location.
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Year - YYYY of mist net survey
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Stage - white-nose syndrome disease stage
* Invasion stage (2017 - 2019) \* Established stage (2022 - 2024) -
park_unit - 4 letter code of associated NPS park unit where mist netting occurred.
JECA = Jewel Cave National Monument; MORU = Mount Rushmore National Park; WICA = Wind Cave National Park
- Total.Capture.Effort = Sum of net capture effort (from Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv) for a single site on a given night (m²h)
- Total.Net.Area = Sum of net area (from Clean_Capture_Effort_2017-2024.csv) for a single site on a given night (m²)
Nightly_Capture_Rates_Spp_Updated.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
Date of data collection: May - September 2017 - 2019 & 2022 - 2024
Geographic location of data collection: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota. Mist netting took place in May-September in federal lands: Wind Cave National Park (WICA); Jewel Cave National Monument (JECA); Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU); and the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF)
This dataset contains nightly bat capture counts and capture rates by species for each survey. Species are identified by their 4-letter codes (e.g., COTO = Townsend's big-eared bat; EPFU = Big brown bat). For each species, two columns are provided:
- * XXXX_c = Count of individuals captured
- * XXXX_rate = Nightly capture rate, calculated as XXXX_c / Total.Capture.Effort (individuals per m²h)
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
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Date - MM/DD/YYYY of mist net survey
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Bat.Night - Sequential survey night number to differentiate surveys that occurred on the same night at different sites (led by different team leads)
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Site.Name - 4 letter code related to mist netting location.
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Year - YYYY of mist net survey
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Stage - White-nose syndrome disease stage (Invasion stage: 2017-2019; Established stage: 2022-2024)
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park_unit - 4-letter code of associated NPS park unit (JECA = Jewel Cave National Monument; MORU = Mount Rushmore National Memorial; WICA = Wind Cave National Park)
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Total.Capture.Effort - Total nightly capture effort for the site (m²h)
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* [Species columns follow the pattern described above]
*COTO = Corynorhinus townsendii; EPFU = Eptesicus fuscus; LABO = Lasiurus borealis; LACI = L. cinereus; LANO = Lasionycteris noctivagans; MYCI = Myotis ciliolabrum; MYEV = M. evotis; MYLU = M. lucifugus; MYSE = M. septentrionalis; MYTH = M. thysanodes; MYVO = M. volans; PESU = Perimyotis subflavus.
Stage_Capture_Rate_updated2024.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
This dataset contains bat capture counts and capture rates by species for each disease stage. Species are identified by their 4-letter codes (e.g., COTO = Townsend's big-eared bat; EPFU = Big brown bat).
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
- Stage - White-nose syndrome disease stage (Invasion stage: 2017-2019; Established stage: 2022-2024)
- Species.Code - 4-letter species code
*COTO = Corynorhinus townsendii; EPFU = Eptesicus fuscus; LABO = Lasiurus borealis; LACI = L. cinereus; LANO = Lasionycteris noctivagans; MYCI = Myotis ciliolabrum; MYEV = M. evotis; MYLU = M. lucifugus; MYSE = M. septentrionalis; MYTH = M. thysanodes; MYVO = M. volans; PESU = Perimyotis subflavus.
- count - Total number of individuals captured during the stage of disease
- Total.Capture.Effort - Total capture effort across all surveys during the stage (m²h)
- capture_rate - Capture rate, calculated as count / Total.Capture.Effort (individuals per m²h)
PercentChange_updated2025.csv & PercentChange_updated2025_JECA.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
This dataset contains species-specific capture rates for each white-nose syndrome disease stage and the percent change between stages. Species are identified by their 4-letter codes. "PercentChange_updated2025_JECA.csv" only includes capture rates from mist-netting surveys within JECA.
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
- Species.Code - 4-letter species code
- Invasion - Species capture rate during the invasion stage (2017-2019) (individuals per m²h)
- Establishment - Species capture rate during the establishment stage (2022-2024) (individuals per m²h)
- percent_change - Percent change in capture rate from invasion to establishment stage, calculated as ((Establishment - Invasion) / Invasion) × 100
Note: A value of 0 indicates the species was not captured during that stage or across the study period.
Proportion_of_Capture_-_Yearly_updated2024.csv & Proportion_of_Capture_JECA.csv
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
This dataset contains the count and proportion of each species captured during each white-nose syndrome disease stage. Species are identified by their 4-letter codes (e.g., COTO = Corynorhinus townsendii, Townsend's big-eared bat).
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
- Stage - White-nose syndrome disease stage (Invasion stage: 2017-2019; Establishment stage: 2022-2024)
- Species.Code - 4-letter species code
- count - Number of individuals of this species captured during the stage
- Stage.Total - Total number of bats (all species combined) captured during the stage
- Proportion - Proportion of total captures represented by this species during the stage, calculated as count / Stage.Total
Example: During the Invasion stage, 5 COTO were captured out of 788 total bats, representing 0.006345178 (or ~0.63%) of all captures during that stage.
Tagged_Bats.xlsx
Contact: Renee Lile, PhD Candidate and Project Lead, University of Wyoming; rlile1@uwyo.edu
This dataset contains individual bat capture records, including demographic information and tagging data for bats captured during mist net surveys from 2017-2024.
The columns in this dataset are explained below:
- Year - YYYY of mist net survey
- Team.Lead - Abbreviation of lead crew member (i.e. held the federal and state handling permit) during the survey season
- Stage - White-nose syndrome disease stage (Invasion stage: 2017-2019; Establishment stage: 2022-2024)
- Date - MM/DD/YYYY of mist net survey
- Site.Name - 4 letter code related to mist netting location.
- park_unit - 4-letter code of associated NPS park unit (JECA = Jewel Cave National Monument; MORU = Mount Rushmore National Memorial; WICA = Wind Cave National Park)
- Species.Code - 4-letter species code
- Time.of.Capture - Time when the bat was captured (HH:MM format)
- Sex - Sex of the individual. Male = M; Female = F;
- Age - Age class of the individual. Adult = A; Juvenile = J.
- Recapture - Indicates whether this is a recapture of a previously tagged individual [Yes/No]
- PIT.Tag - PIT Tag number assigned to the individual.
- Wing.Band - Wing band number assigned to the individual. Always starts with UWYO.
Code/software
1.) The Rmd file entitled "NOAA_data_black-hillsSD.Rmd" provides an R Markdown workflow of processing daily weather data (average max temp and precipitation) from NOAA weather stations at Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Custer, SD (JECA). It also includes instructions on how to download our dataset for summers 2017-2019 & 2022 - 2024
2.) The Rmd file entitled "JM_figure_code.Rmd" provides an R Markdown workflow of creating published figures and all data-viz.
All data was processed in R version 4.5.0 (2025-04-11 ucrt) -- "How About a Twenty-Six"
Access information
For full dataset of nightly captures, please contact the author: rlile1@uwyo.
Disease stage definition:
We categorized disease progression in the Black Hills into two stages, following the framework described by Langwig et al. (2015b) and Cheng et al. (2021): the invasion stage (2017–2019) and the establishment stage (2022–2024). We define the invasion stage of WNS as encompassing the year prior to detection and the first three years following detection. The establishment stage is defined as years 4 through 7 post-detection. Characterizing disease into distinct stages allows managers to prepare context-dependent action at each stage (Langwig et al. 2015b).
Survey methods
During the summer months (May–September) of 2017–2019 and 2022–2024, we captured bats at small bodies of water (e.g., ponds, stock tanks, and streams) across a total of 32 sites.
All bats captured over the course of each netting night were released within 15 minutes at the point of capture. All capture and handling techniques followed the American Society of Mammalogists guidelines (Sikes et al. 2016) and were approved by the University of Wyoming’s and the National Park Service’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, as well as state and federal permitting entities (Supplementary Data SD2).
To account for differences in capture methods and effort, we then standardized the data into capture rates (Ralph 1976; Rojas et al. 2017). Capture rates were defined as: number of bats captured/(total net area)* (total net hours), where total net area is expressed as m2 and capture rate is presented as captures per 1 m2h (Rojas et al. 2017). The structure of these data was not conducive to statistical comparison; therefore, we chose to compare capture rates and the proportion of species captured across stages of disease, similar to methods from Balzer et al. (2021). All analyses and data visualization were conducted in R Version 4.5.0 (R Core Team 2026), using additional packages tidyverse (Wickham et al., 2019) and gridExtra (Auguie, 2017).