Premium
Seed Dispersal of Morus macroura (Moraceae) by Two Frugivorous Bats in Xishuangbanna, SW China
Author(s) -
Tang ZhanHui,
Cao Min,
Sheng LianXi,
Ma XunFeng,
Walsh Allyson,
Zhang ShuYi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2007.00307.x
Subject(s) - frugivore , seed dispersal , biology , germination , moraceae , biological dispersal , southern china , botany , ecology , china , geography , population , demography , archaeology , sociology , habitat
The dispersal of Morus macroura seeds by two species of frugivorous bats ( Rousettus leschenaulti and Cynopterus sphinx ) was studied in a forest at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Southwest China from March to May 2005. Feeding roosts were identified within 500 m around parent trees and the types and number of seed loads under each roost were recorded. We found feeding roost density decreased with increasing distance from the parent, but found no correlation between distance and seed deposition. The effect of bat digestion on seed germination was investigated, and we found that germination percentage of all treatments involving ingestion by bats was significantly lower than control seeds and some germination parameters of seeds from different treatments changed.