Epizoochorous dispersal by bats in French Guiana

Abstract

In neotropical forests many species of plant depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal and it has been well documented that bats play an essential role in dispersal of many flowering plants (Gardner 1977). Bats are responsible for colonization of plants into forest gaps because they often disperse the seeds of plants adapted for growth in disturbed areas. Species of Cecropia, Piper, Solanum and Vismia are especially important pioneer plants, and bats play a critical role in the dispersal of these secondary woody species into both secondary and primary forests, and into the seed bank (de Foresta et al. 1984, Lobova et al. 2003).