Germination responses of four pioneer plant species after passage through the gut of a frugivorous Neotropical bat

Does Ficus species fruit mastication and ingestion by Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bats enhance seed germination and seedling emergence?

“…Furthermore, Shilton et al (1999) observed that captured fruit bats in cages defecated after the cages were cleaned, suggesting that fig seeds could be retained in the digestive tracts of fruit bats for longer periods and thus over long distances based on their movement between foraging and roosting sites shown in other studies (Monadjem et al, 2010;Mphethe et al, 2023;Rollinson et al, 2013). Beyond enhancing germination rates and speeding up the emergence of seedlings, studies have also suggested the importance of seed ingestion by fruit bat and fruit-eating bat species for the restoration of degraded areas because they typically cover a relatively large area and long distances for foraging (Heer et al, 2010;Rollinson et al, 2013;van Toor et al, 2019) enhancing gene flow between populations from different habitat fragments (Pulzatto et al, 2018). Our findings, as with previous studies, therefore, show the importance of fruit bats and fruit-eating bats in seed dispersal, seed rain production and restoration projects for degraded areas (Muscarella & Fleming, 2007;Pulzatto et al, 2018).…”

“…They, therefore, are potentially transported farther, enhancing seed dispersal and likely resulting in the production of seed rain (Jordaan et al., 2012; Tang et al., 2007). Several researchers have also reported that fruit bats and fruit‐eating bats commute between fruiting trees and their feeding roosts and often defecate on their way to and from fruiting trees, thus depositing seeds along their way (Heer et al., 2010; Mphethe et al., 2023; Muscarella & Fleming, 2007; Pulzatto et al., 2018; Rollinson et al., 2014; Seltzer et al., 2013; Tang et al., 2007; pers. obs.).…”

“…Beyond enhancing germination rates and speeding up the emergence of seedlings, studies have also suggested the importance of seed ingestion by fruit bat and fruit‐eating bat species for the restoration of degraded areas because they typically cover a relatively large area and long distances for foraging (Heer et al., 2010; Rollinson et al., 2013; van Toor et al., 2019) enhancing gene flow between populations from different habitat fragments (Pulzatto et al., 2018). Our findings, as with previous studies, therefore, show the importance of fruit bats and fruit‐eating bats in seed dispersal, seed rain production and restoration projects for degraded areas (Muscarella & Fleming, 2007; Pulzatto et al., 2018). In particular, keystone Ficus spp.…”

“…These trends corroborate past studies. For example, several studies (Lopez & Vaughan, 2004;Pulzatto et al, 2018;Tang et al, 2007) showed that seeds of Ficus spp., such as F. insipida, F. adhatodifolia, F. racemose and F. luschnathiana, ingested by fruit bats and fruit-eating bats had higher germination success than seeds not ingested. In addition, Relatively smaller seeds, such as those of the Ficus spp.…”

“…Several researchers have also reported that fruit bats and fruit-eating bats commute between fruiting trees and their feeding roosts and often defecate on their way to and from fruiting trees, thus depositing seeds along their way (Heer et al, 2010;Mphethe et al, 2023;Muscarella & Fleming, 2007;Pulzatto et al, 2018;Rollinson et al, 2014;Seltzer et al, 2013;Tang et al, 2007;pers. obs.).…”