DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Background: The change in the coverage of the Cloud Forest (CF) generates edges and fragments of original vegetation that can affect the bat community and the diversity of dispersed seeds. Objective: The objective was to describe the diversity of frugivorous bats and the seeds that they consume in d...

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Main Authors: Morelia Texcahua-Tzontehua, Ricardo Serna-Lagunes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán 2023-02-01
Series:Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/4530
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author Morelia Texcahua-Tzontehua
Ricardo Serna-Lagunes
author_facet Morelia Texcahua-Tzontehua
Ricardo Serna-Lagunes
author_sort Morelia Texcahua-Tzontehua
collection DOAJ
description Background: The change in the coverage of the Cloud Forest (CF) generates edges and fragments of original vegetation that can affect the bat community and the diversity of dispersed seeds. Objective: The objective was to describe the diversity of frugivorous bats and the seeds that they consume in different types of edges in the BMM, in Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico. Methodology: Sampling with nets every 28 days for the capture and identification of bats was carried out in seven months, their feces were collected and the contained seeds were germinated to estimate a germination rate and for their taxonomic identification. The bat community and the seeds consumed were evaluated with true diversity indicators; the disperser importance index (IID) was estimated with the percentage of seeds dispersed by bat species. Results: 503 individuals of 14 species of frugivorous bats were captured in the four borders of the BMM, but the highest presence (13 spp.) and abundance (60%) of frugivorous-polynectarivorous bats was recorded in the border of the BMM with Grassland, where Anoura geoffroyi, Sturnira ludovici and S. lilium had the highest abundance, but only three species of bats are dispersal agents. A total of 69 bat droppings with 1380 seeds belonging to four botanical families were collected, with Rubiaceae and Solanaceae having the highest frequency of seeds consumed, and Piperaceae and Solanaceae with the greatest diversity of seeds. The highest quantity (65%) and diversity of seeds (10 spp.) were recorded on the BMM-Grassland border, with Borreria laevis seeds being the most consumed (30%). Implications: This study allows us to understand the ecological importance of biotic interactions between bats and plants in BMM borders. Conclusions: The edges of heterogeneous BMM conglomerate greater diversity and abundance of bats.
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spelling doaj.art-0ed5a7ae1e4f4b1cad9774316fb1de682024-02-21T16:05:44ZengUniversidad Autónoma de YucatánTropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems1870-04622023-02-0126210.56369/tsaes.45301444DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICOMorelia Texcahua-Tzontehua0Ricardo Serna-Lagunes1Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Universidad Veracruzana.Unidad de Manejo y Conservación de Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Universidad Veracruzana.Background: The change in the coverage of the Cloud Forest (CF) generates edges and fragments of original vegetation that can affect the bat community and the diversity of dispersed seeds. Objective: The objective was to describe the diversity of frugivorous bats and the seeds that they consume in different types of edges in the BMM, in Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico. Methodology: Sampling with nets every 28 days for the capture and identification of bats was carried out in seven months, their feces were collected and the contained seeds were germinated to estimate a germination rate and for their taxonomic identification. The bat community and the seeds consumed were evaluated with true diversity indicators; the disperser importance index (IID) was estimated with the percentage of seeds dispersed by bat species. Results: 503 individuals of 14 species of frugivorous bats were captured in the four borders of the BMM, but the highest presence (13 spp.) and abundance (60%) of frugivorous-polynectarivorous bats was recorded in the border of the BMM with Grassland, where Anoura geoffroyi, Sturnira ludovici and S. lilium had the highest abundance, but only three species of bats are dispersal agents. A total of 69 bat droppings with 1380 seeds belonging to four botanical families were collected, with Rubiaceae and Solanaceae having the highest frequency of seeds consumed, and Piperaceae and Solanaceae with the greatest diversity of seeds. The highest quantity (65%) and diversity of seeds (10 spp.) were recorded on the BMM-Grassland border, with Borreria laevis seeds being the most consumed (30%). Implications: This study allows us to understand the ecological importance of biotic interactions between bats and plants in BMM borders. Conclusions: The edges of heterogeneous BMM conglomerate greater diversity and abundance of bats.https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/4530abundanciaconservacióndispersión activapastizalphyllostomidae
spellingShingle Morelia Texcahua-Tzontehua
Ricardo Serna-Lagunes
DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems
abundancia
conservación
dispersión activa
pastizal
phyllostomidae
title DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
title_full DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
title_fullStr DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
title_full_unstemmed DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
title_short DIVERSITY OF FRUGIVORES BATS AND SEEDS CONSUMED ON THE EDGES OF CLOUD FOREST, VERACRUZ, MEXICO
title_sort diversity of frugivores bats and seeds consumed on the edges of cloud forest veracruz mexico
topic abundancia
conservación
dispersión activa
pastizal
phyllostomidae
url https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/4530
work_keys_str_mv AT moreliatexcahuatzontehua diversityoffrugivoresbatsandseedsconsumedontheedgesofcloudforestveracruzmexico
AT ricardosernalagunes diversityoffrugivoresbatsandseedsconsumedontheedgesofcloudforestveracruzmexico