Flying foxes create extensive seed shadows and enhance germination success of pioneer plant species in deforested Madagascan landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Seed dispersal plays a significant role in forest regeneration and maintenance. Flying foxes are often posited as effective long-distance seed dispersers due to their large home ranges and ability to disperse seeds when flying. We evaluate the importance of the Madagascan flying fox Pteropus rufus in the maintenance and regeneration of forests in one of the world's priority conservation areas. We tested germination success of over 20,000 seeds from the figs Ficus polita, F. grevei and F. lutea extracted from bat faeces and ripe fruits under progressively more natural conditions, ranging from petri-dishes to outdoor environments. Seeds from all fig species showed increased germination success after passing through the bats' digestive tracts. Outside, germination success in F. polita was hig

SUBMITTER: Oleksy R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5587229 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature