Seed dispersal by frugivorous bats on landslides in a montane rain forest in Southern Ecuador
Lindner, AndréMorawetz, Wilfried
Phyllostomid bats are fundamental components of the neotropical mammalian diversity and they havethe greatest dietary diversity in any mammalian family. Their tendency to occur in a widespread spectrum ofdifferent habitats and their capability to carry seeds long distances makes them essential for the regeneration ofdisturbed forest areas, like landslides. In this study the seed rain produced by bats and birds in forest slopes andlandslides was investigated. A total of 232 faeces by birds and bats accounting a total of 3312 seeds of at least13 plant families were collected in all seed traps on all sites. The number of bat dispersed seeds on each site washigher than the number of bird dispersed seeds (between 62,5 % to 90,6 % by bats). The chiropterochorous seedrain was composed of 27 different seed morphotypes. The ascertained distribution pattern of the faeces of batsand birds indicates that bats are crossing open areas regularly. This is in marked contrast to the behaviour ofbirds, which are sojourning at the forest edge. Additionally, faecal samples from frugivorous bats were alsoanalysed, resulting in 18 different seed morphotypes out of 8 plant families. The majority belongs to the familiesof Piperaceae, Solanaceae and Araceae. In conclusion, the frugivorous phyllostomid bats showed to be essentialfor the regeneration of neotropical montane forest and the restoration of la