Karen E. Powers

TL;DR: A strong effect of site on the bat skin microbiome indicates that the environment very strongly influences what bacteria are present on bat skin, and suggests that habitat variability is very important.

TL;DR: A time lag in the rate of decline between published data based on bats captured during the swarming season and summer mist-netting captures from the same geographic area is noted, indicating that the viability of Northern Long-eared Bats in western Virginia is tenuous.

TL;DR: The recent surge in specimen-based digitization initiatives has resulted in unprecedented access to a wealth of biodiversity information and how this availability vastly expands the reach of natural history collections as mentioned in this paper.

TL;DR: The authors' inconclusive BMI metrics and little brown bat band recapture data suggest little competitive advantage or selection for surviving bats, and declines in Indiana bat numbers mirrors trends seen elsewhere regionally, and band recoveries do show that some individuals are persisting.

TL;DR: Natural history collections are an irreplaceable and extensive record of life and form the basis of our understanding of biodiversity on our planet as mentioned in this paper, and provide an unparalleled opportunity to integrate both inquiry-based and place-based learning into education at all levels and in all venues.