Seed and pollen dispersal by small pteropid bats in lowland forest of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Understanding plant-bat mutualisms such as seed dispersal and pollination is still limited in Malaysia. Thus, this study was conducted from mid-July to the end of August 2016, to determine the potential role of small pteropodid bats as seed dispersal and pollinating agents in selected lowland rainforests of Terengganu. Bats were netted and swabbed for pollen load and faeces were collected to examine the seeds ingested by the bats. A total of 64 pteropodid bats were captured consisting of six species. The predominant bat species captured were Cynopterus brachyotis with 34 individuals (53 % of the total captures) and C. horsfieldii with 12 individuals (19 %). These two frugivorous bat species were the important seed dispersal and pollinating agents at the study sites, as these bats ingested a high number of seeds and carried multiple pollen grains on their bodies. Conversely, the nectarivorous Macroglossus sobrinus was found to only carrying pollen grains, indicating that the species is not a seed disperser whilst it is an important pollinator. As pollen and seeds are the two ways by which plants transfer their genes to the next generation, thus these small pteropodid bats play an important role in the maintenance and regeneration of the lowland forests in Terengganu.