Contact: Marisa Lubeck
mlubeck@usgs.gov
303-202-4765
United States Geological Survey

Beyond Billions: Threatened Bats are Worth Billions to Agriculture

Caption: Insect-eating bats provide pest-control services that save the U.S. agriculture industry over $3 billion per year, according to a study released today in the journal Science. However, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Pretoria in South Africa, University of Tennessee, and Boston University who contributed to the study warn that these valuable animals are at risk: Bat populations are declining due to fatalities associated with White-Nose Syndrome and wind turbines, which could lead to significant economic losses on U.S. farms. Paul Cryan, USGS scientist and an author of the report, discusses these findings.

Credit: Marisa Lubeck, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior

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