Abstract
The mutual relationships between bats and vegetation, in addition to the individual benefits, are significant
contributors to the tropical forest regeneration through seed dispersal. As the bats eat the fruits of pioneer
plants they provide secondary succession dispersing the ingested seeds into the forest as well as in the degraded
areas. This study compared the structure and composition of the fruit bats and the seeds dispersed in different
successional habitats (mature forest, secondary growth with seven years of regeneration, secondary growth with
one year of regeneration and pasture) in the Forest Reserve Bremen-La Popa (Filandia-Quindío, Colombia).
Mist nets were used to capture the bats and samples of their feces were also obtained. Abundance, richness and
equity of the fruit bats and the seeds dispersed were higher in those habitats with older regeneration. The bats
Artibeus lituratus and Sturnira lilium were more abundant in the pasture and in the early successional stages of
one and seven years. The seeds most dispersed by bats were Cecropia telealba, Solanum undullata, Solanum
aphydendron and Solanum acerifolium.
contributors to the tropical forest regeneration through seed dispersal. As the bats eat the fruits of pioneer
plants they provide secondary succession dispersing the ingested seeds into the forest as well as in the degraded
areas. This study compared the structure and composition of the fruit bats and the seeds dispersed in different
successional habitats (mature forest, secondary growth with seven years of regeneration, secondary growth with
one year of regeneration and pasture) in the Forest Reserve Bremen-La Popa (Filandia-Quindío, Colombia).
Mist nets were used to capture the bats and samples of their feces were also obtained. Abundance, richness and
equity of the fruit bats and the seeds dispersed were higher in those habitats with older regeneration. The bats
Artibeus lituratus and Sturnira lilium were more abundant in the pasture and in the early successional stages of
one and seven years. The seeds most dispersed by bats were Cecropia telealba, Solanum undullata, Solanum
aphydendron and Solanum acerifolium.
| Translated title of the contribution | Dispersión de semillas por murciélagos a través de cuatro estados sucesionales de un paisaje subandino |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Pages (from-to) | 87-101 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Biota Colombiana |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2014 |