The Ozark big-eared bat is an endangered species found only in a small number of caves in the south central United States, specifically karst areas, "an irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns." According to NationalGeographic.com, these bats once lived in caves in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, but they "abandoned their Missouri habitat due to encroachment and cave disturbance, and estimates put the remaining wild population around 1,800.
David Kampwerth, "a karst biologist for the Arkansas field office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said bats can be killed when their organs and lungs implode due to the changes in air compression from the turning of the turbine planes."
Washington County planning director Juliet Richey said that Ivenergy, a Chicago-based company, had approached land owners about a project and had set up meteorological towers in the area to collect data.
To read the 40/29tv.com story, click here.
To read the NationalGeographic.com story, click here.
Posted: 10/20/2010
