Co-evolution
Frugivorous bats are important dispersers for many Neotropical plants. Bat ingestion of seeds may enhance seed germination as a result of co-evolution with plant seeds. Previous published studies have shown varying results on the effect of seed ingestion and germination.
My research project in Costa Rica compared the impact of bat ingestion on seed germination for three related plant species: Solanum nudum, S. umbellatum and Acnistus arborescens, all in the Solanaceae family.
S. nudum (top left) and S. umbellatum (bottom) are classic bat fruits that ripen to yellow at night. A. arborescens (top right) fruits are orange and are normally dispersed by birds. |
Bat ingested seeds of S. nudum germinated approximately a half day longer than non-bat ingested seeds.
For this short-term study, seed germination was largely unaffected by bat ingestion. It is important that we consider plant-disperser interactions, as they are crucial to our understanding of forest biodiversity! |