| I characterized various aspects of bat ecology in a prairie landscape. I used radio-telemetry, acoustic monitoring and molecular genetics to address questions of roosting ecology and landscape genetics at fine and large scales. Additionally, I used a population genetics approach to address a question of systematics that arose due to a discrepancy between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.;I acoustically monitored along the Red Deer River for year-round bat activity. I determined that bats are active in all months at three locations, flying at unexpectedly cold temperatures. Using radiotelemetry, I located and described the first natural rock-crevice hibernacula for E. fuscus in the Canadian prairies. Acoustically I also determined that species composition and activity patterns along the river change seasonally, suggesting use of rivers as movement corridors.;I tested the hypothesis that bats vary in genetic population structure according to their mobility and habitat specificity. I compared three species of bats in a prairie environment where river valleys were the dominant landscape feature. Greater flight ability corresponded to less genetic structure, and roost specificity may have caused greater dependency on rivers as movement corridors.;I used population genetics to assess the systematics of little brown bats, M. lucifugus. Using nuclear microsatellites, I found that two groups differing substantially in mtDNA sequence (putative subspecies), were fully interbreeding. Sympatry occurs across western North America, making intact gene pools for each group unlikely. This, together with a lack of morphological and ecological distinction, suggests no biological basis for taxonomic distinction. Although recently proposed to be cryptic species based on mtDNA, my results suggest no taxonomic distinction is biologically warranted. I highlight the importance of investigating nuclear gene flow in widely sympatric animals suspected of being cryptic species.;I compared the roosting ecology of female western small-footed bats, Myotis ciliolabrum, and big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus in SE Alberta. Despite substantial differences in physical attributes of roosts, roosts were similar in microclimate. Unlike E. fuscus, M. ciliolabrum roosted more inconspicuously, did not change roost structure during reproduction, and roosted with few individuals. M. ciliolabrum was geographically clustered by relatedness on a small scale, unlike female E. fuscus who roosted in unrelated groups over a larger area. |
