Texas Tech University

ANRS/NRM Photo Contest 2016

MS student Carlos Garcia answers some questions about his 2nd place winning photograph and the research it captures.

Carlos Garcia,  ms student, ttu, nrm, natural resources management, texas tech university

Maggie Zebracka: When and where was the photo taken?

Carlos Garcia:The photo was taken on July 21, 2016 in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.

MZ: What kind of research are you working on in the photo?

CG:In this photo I am trying to listen to a frequency via radio telemetry. We were tracking bats that we had tagged the previous night to their roosting sites. This will help us understand the roosting ecology of the Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis).

MZ: How or why is understanding the roosting ecology important?

CG: The northern long-eared bat is currently listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Declines of this species are due to the white-nose syndrome and current surveys have shown that the disease has not been identified in Louisiana. As a result, Louisiana might be one of the final refuges for this species.

MZ: How does this research fit into the scope of work you're doing for your MS? What are the long-term goals of the project(s) you're working on?

CG: This research will be a part of what I am working on for my masters. As far as understanding the roosting ecology of the northern long-eared bat, I will also be studying the population genetics of this species across its distribution range in the United states.

The long-term goals of this project are to continue studying the ecology of the northern long-eared bat and to work with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to help manage for the population.

Carlos Garcia,  ms student, ttu, nrm, natural resources management, texas tech university

Carlos Garcia,  ms student, ttu, nrm, natural resources management, texas tech university

Carlos Garcia is an MS student in the department of Natural Resources Management. His research title is "Roosting ecology of the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) in Louisiana."

Maggie Zebracka is the Graduate Program Assistant for NRM.