Draft2 : Revision of our presentation

This topic submitted by Naveen Sundar, Brian Kelly ( sundarn1@muohio.edu ) on 2/12/02 .

We have revised our topic to focus on the realized and potential effects on bat communities through ecosystem change. Bat populations from various species and in numerous ecosystems globally have experienced declining populations resulting from climate change effects on their environments. Bats are invaluable players within the biotic component of many ecosystems, and happen to be very susceptible to temperature increases. Increasing average global temperatures affect such things as the plants on which certain bats feed and pollinate, along with the insects that other bats feed on. Declining bat populations therefore result in food chain and plant pollination disruption that have great repercussions throughout the ecosystems they reside in, and also act as another indicator species highlighting the negative effects of rapid global change due to anthropogenic activities.

Surprisingly, a great amount of research has been conducted involving the study of bat communities. This topic presents a plethora of resources pertaining to the environmental factors affecting bats; including climate change.

1. Bats Magazine. BCI Research Scholars, Making a Difference for Bat Conservation Geiselman & Acker, vol 19, no 3, Fall 2001.

Magazine article discusses the human threats posed to bats worldwide. Magazine itself is a good resource.

2. Book : Effects of past global change on life / Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council - Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1995
Read Tropical Climate Stability and Implications for the Distribution of Life by Eric Barron

This book discusses historical effects and responses of ecosystems and biodiversity due to climate change.

3. Biotic response to global change : the last 145 million years / edited by Stephen J. Culver and Peter F. Rawson - New York : Cambridge University Press, 2000
This is another historical study regarding the effects of global climate change on biota.

4. Earth system responses to global change : contrasts between North and South America / edited by Harold A. Mooney, Eduardo R. Fuentes, Barbara I. Kronberg - San Diego : Academic Press, c1993

Text includes regional and hemispheric effects of global climate change.

5. Atlas of satellite observations related to global change / R.J. Gurney, J.L. Foster, C.L. Parkinson - Cambridge [England] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1993

Visual aids in studying various environmental and meteorological factors pertaining to global climate change.

6. Carbon charges as a response to global warming: the effects of taxing fossil fuels - Washington, D.C. : Congress of the U.S., Congressional Budget Office, [1990]

Discusses regulations calling for carbon charges to industry in order to combat climate change.

7. Global climate change and human impacts on forest ecosystems: postglacial development, present situation, and future trends in Central Europe / J. Puhe and B. Ulrich ; chapter 8 by A. Dohrenbusch - Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2001

Highlights past, present and potential future human induced climate change effects on forests in Central Europe.

Websites:

1. www.esd.ornl.gov/research/egcs.html

Much research studying the understanding and prediction of ecosystem change and response to climate change.

2. www.globalchange.gov

US global change research program providing articles, links, and satellite images pertaining emissions and rising temperatures due to human activity.

3. www.climateark.org

Good resource that addresses climate change and possible solutions to negative human activities through the expanded use of things such as renewables.

4. www.gcrio.org/online.html

Site contains links to numerous documents regarding US positions, responses, etc. to climate change issues.

5. http://www.npca.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/default.asp

This is a great site that offers good description of what bats are, how abundant and valuable a mammal they are, and specifically how human activities threaten them.

6. http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/biology/bats/

This site discusses the many hazards man poses to bats, including the rise in global temperatures due to our activities.

7. http://www.batcon.org/

A bat-friendly site. This site praises bats, giving good descriptions as to their gentle and beneficial nature. Provides many bat-links to read up on bats in different regions.

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