Raw microclimate data from caves and mines in New Brunswick, Canada

We document white-nose syndrome (WNS), a lethal disease of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), and hibernacula microclimate in New Brunswick, Canada. Our study area represents a more northern region than is common for hibernacula microclimate investigations, providing insight as to how WNS may impact bats at higher latitudes. Hibernacula microclimate is important in hibernaculum selection by bats and may also be an important factor influencing WNS-associated bat mortality rates. To determine the impact of the March 2011 arrival of Pd in New Brunswick and the role of hibernacula microclimate on hibernating bat mortality, we surveyed bat numbers at hibernacula twice a year from 2009 – 2015. We also collected data from iButton temperature loggers deployed at all sites and gathered temperature and humidity data from HOBO loggers at three sites. Bat species found in New Brunswick hibernacula include Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) and M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), with small numbers of Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). All known hibernacula in the province were Pd-positive with WNS-positive bats by winter 2013. A 99% decrease in the over-wintering bat population in New Brunswick was observed between 2011 and 2015. We did not observe P. subflavus during surveys 2013 – 2015 and the species appears to be extirpated from these sites. Bats did not appear to choose hibernacula based on winter temperatures, but dark zone (zone where no light penetrates) winter temperatures did not differ among our study sites, likely due to the geographically small sampling area. Dark zone temperatures did not vary among years, unlike hibernacula entrance temperatures, but both locations were affected by the presence of flowing water. Winter dark zone temperatures were warmer and less variable than entrance or above ground temperatures. We observed visible Pd growth on hibernating bats in New Brunswick during early winter surveys (November), even though hibernacula temperatures were colder (~ 4 – 5°C) than optimum for in vitro Pd growth (12.5 – 15.8°C). This suggests that cold hibernacula temperatures encountered near the apparent northern range limit for Pd do not sufficiently slow fungal growth to prevent the onset of WNS and associated bat mortality over the winter. As WNS continues to spread west across continental North America, the severity of WNS-related mortality may therefore be greater at northern latitudes where bat hibernation periods are longer, despite apparent suboptimal temperatures for Pd growth.本研究记录了加拿大新不伦瑞克省的白鼻综合征（white-nose syndrome, WNS）——一种由破坏性假裸囊菌（Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Pd）引发的致命蝙蝠疾病，以及当地冬眠洞微气候情况。本研究的采样区域相较于以往此类冬眠洞微气候研究的常见区域更靠北，可为解析白鼻综合征如何影响高纬度地区蝙蝠种群提供新认知。 冬眠洞微气候不仅是蝙蝠选择冬眠位点的关键因素，同时也可能是影响白鼻综合征相关蝙蝠死亡率的重要调控因子。为明确2011年3月破坏性假裸囊菌传入新不伦瑞克省所造成的影响，以及冬眠洞微气候对冬眠蝙蝠死亡率的调控作用，我们于2009年至2015年间每年两次对各冬眠洞的蝙蝠种群数量开展调查。此外，我们在所有采样点部署了iButton温度记录仪（iButton temperature loggers）以采集数据，并在其中3个站点使用HOBO记录仪（HOBO loggers）收集温度与湿度数据。 新不伦瑞克省冬眠洞内发现的蝙蝠物种包括普通棕蝠（Myotis lucifugus, Little Brown Bat）与北长耳蝠（M. septentrionalis, Northern Long-eared Bat），另有少量三色蝠（Perimyotis subflavus, Tricolored Bat）。截至2013年冬季，该省所有已知冬眠洞均检测出Pd阳性，且洞内蝙蝠呈现白鼻综合征阳性症状。 2011年至2015年间，新不伦瑞克省越冬蝙蝠种群数量下降了99%。2013年至2015年的调查中未再观测到三色蝠，该物种似乎已从这些冬眠位点中局部灭绝。 蝙蝠似乎并未依据冬季温度选择冬眠洞，但本研究各采样点的黑暗区（无光穿透区域）冬季温度并无显著差异，这可能是因为采样区域的地理范围较小。与冬眠洞入口温度不同，黑暗区温度在不同年份间无显著波动，但二者均受洞内流水的影响。冬季黑暗区温度较入口或地面上方温度更高，且波动幅度更小。 尽管冬眠洞内温度（约4~5℃）低于破坏性假裸囊菌体外培养的最适生长温度（12.5~15.8℃），我们仍在初冬（11月）的调查中观测到新不伦瑞克省冬眠蝙蝠体表出现了可见的Pd菌落。这表明，在接近破坏性假裸囊菌已知分布北界的低温冬眠环境中，温度并未足够抑制真菌生长，无法阻止冬季白鼻综合征的发作及相关蝙蝠死亡。随着白鼻综合征继续沿北美大陆向西扩散，尽管低温环境对破坏性假裸囊菌的生长并非最适，蝙蝠冬眠周期更长的高纬度地区的白鼻综合征相关死亡率可能会更为严重。