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Andy wrote:I suspect the Preble County, Ohio mine mentioned is what is locally called the "Lewisburg Caves". It is one county away from me. It is a former limestone mine and the only mine in the area large enough to have so many bats. Saying the mine is gated and protected from public access is not accurate. A group runs a haunted cave tour in the mines each year and the local historical society offers mine tours. You can check it out here:
http://www.hauntedcaveatlewisburg.com/
The Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unveiled a plan Tuesday to stop the spread of white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal infection detected in Ohio in March that is devastating bat populations.
Bats play a critical a role by eating insects such as mosquitoes and a large number of other insects that harm crops, scientists say.
Pest-control provided by the night-fliers saves the nation's agricultural industry at least $3 billion annually, scientific studies show.
One of the largest bat habitats in Ohio is the privately-owned Lewisburg Limestone Mine in Preble County. There, the bat population is estimated to be greater than 20,000. It's also the site of a haunted cave attraction in October.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said Tuesday that, "white-nose syndrome has wreaked havoc on Ohio's agricultural industry and this road map is a good first step in combating this disease. By bringing in federal resources to tackle this syndrome, we can protect Ohio's agricultural economy and prevent this deadly disease."
PYoungbaer wrote:
Given the haunted cave attraction takes place late October, when bats are headed into hibernation, one wonders if the haunt will be canceled or suspended in 2012.
Pest-control provided by the night-fliers saves the nation's agricultural industry at least $3 billion annually, scientific studies show.
BrianC wrote:Pest-control provided by the night-fliers saves the nation's agricultural industry at least $3 billion annually, scientific studies show.
i would like to see this study! From all the information available in the last four years, that I have been able to access, any information has been from South America and some into the extreme southern US where temps are not consistent with the availability of WNS to grow. The bat losses in the WNS infected areas have not affected the agricultural industry at any level. No increased pesticide use at all. The bats in WNS areas don't provide enough insect control to even be measurable. This is a farce! This is (as far as I can research) just a ploy to enhance more research spending period. Some one please provide evidence backed up by science to prove this incorrect!
cavergirl wrote:BrianC wrote:Pest-control provided by the night-fliers saves the nation's agricultural industry at least $3 billion annually, scientific studies show.
i would like to see this study! From all the information available in the last four years, that I have been able to access, any information has been from South America and some into the extreme southern US where temps are not consistent with the availability of WNS to grow. The bat losses in the WNS infected areas have not affected the agricultural industry at any level. No increased pesticide use at all. The bats in WNS areas don't provide enough insect control to even be measurable. This is a farce! This is (as far as I can research) just a ploy to enhance more research spending period. Some one please provide evidence backed up by science to prove this incorrect!
Economic Importance of Bats in Agriculture
Justin G. Boyles1,*, Paul M. Cryan2, Gary F. McCracken3, and Thomas H. Kunz4
Science 1 April 2011:
Vol. 332 no. 6025 pp. 41-42
DOI: 10.1126/science.1201366
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6025/41.full
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6 ... nsion.html
[quote="BrianC]
#2 all studies referring to the multi billion additional use came from actual studies where bats are the number one insect predator and pollinator in and only in South America.[/quote][/quote][/quote]
cavergirl wrote:
"For example, a single colony of 150 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Indiana has been estimated to eat nearly
1.3 million pest insects each year, possibly contributing to the disruption of population cycles of agricultural pests ' ( 8). J. O. Whitaker, Jr., Am. Midl. Nat. 134, 346 (1995).
"published estimates of the value of pest suppression services provided by bats ranges from about $12 to $173/acre (with a most
likely scenario of $74/acre) in a cotton-dominated
agricultural landscape in south-central Texas " ( 12)C. J. Cleveland et al., Front. Ecol. Environ 4, 238 (2006).
wyandottecaver wrote:
1) Virtually every study is funded by an entity with a purpose for that study in mind. Pure science for the sake of science is virtually never that purpose despite the movies. (I think he meant motives: TNcaver)
2) Every study is conducted by people with some kind of bias or motive.
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