Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
8-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Richard Carter
Committee Members
Ryan Stephens, Thomas Jones, Claire Hemingway
Abstract
Livestock farming accounts for about 70% of agricultural activity, with continuous grazing as the dominant conventional practice. However, this method often degrades biodiversity and ecosystem health through overgrazing. Regenerative grazing practices offer a potential ecologically sustainable approach to cattle management. Insectivorous bats are known to use agroecosystems for foraging and roosting habitats, offering an opportunity to assess their response to regenerative grazing. Using passive acoustic monitors, we evaluated the response of bats to cattle within regenerative grazed farms in East Tennessee, USA. Overall bat activity declined when cattle entered and exited paddocks, except for the tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), which did not show a negative response. We found that insect abundance was not significantly influenced in paddocks subject to cattle presence, during a rotational grazed agroecosystem. These findings provide new insights into the interactions between bats and cattle, as well as the impact of regenerative grazing on insectivorous bat populations.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Morelock, Seth, "Cattle Regenerative Grazing Effects on Bat Activity in Southern Appalachia" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4568. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4568
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
