On the importance of articulating assumptions when conducting acoustic studies of habitat use by bats

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In order to fairly scrutinize studies regarding the recording and analysis of ultrasonic calls used to investigate the ecological properties of chiropteran systems, we investigated the value of clearly articulating assumptions when using acoustic tools to study habitat use by bats. We evaluated 50 papers published between 1980 and 2001 that used acoustics to address questions regarding use of habitat by bats and compared the research design of those papers against established research criteria. Many of these papers failed to satisfy all or even some of these criteria. Seemingly, authors rarely have evaluated the appropriateness of acoustic techniques as applied to their research objectives. One of the most common omissions was the lack of clearly stated limitations of acoustic instrumentation. When investigating questions regarding habitat use and associations of bats, researchers often attempt to generate predictive models. A key component of model generation is clear statement of assumptions upon which the model is built. To illustrate the importance of a priori statement of assumptions, we collected data at West Point Military Reservation, New York. We then generated a model of habitat associations for the data set and tested the result of purposely violating certain assumptions. We found that many false models could be generated from a failure to acknowledge and understand limitations of acoustic methods.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Mammals