Note on Pollen and Seeds Dispersed by Pteropodid Bats in Kenyir Forest Area, Terengganu

Abstract

A study on the role of bats as pollinating and seed dispersal agents was conducted at Kenyir forest area, Terengganu. The objectives of this study were to identify the species of bats that potentially act as pollinating and seed dispersal agents at Kenyir forest area and to determine the plant species visited by this bats from the pollen types and seeds collected from the bats. In this study, six pollen types were recorded including Ceiba pentandra, Melaleuca sp., Musa sp., Oroxylum indicum, Parkia sp. and Sonneratia sp. From the total of eight species of bats caught at the study area, only Balionycteris maculata, Cynopterus brachyotis and Eonycteris spelaea were identified as pollinating agents. Cynopterus brachyotis carried the highest number of pollen types which was six, with the highest number of pollen grains was from Musa sp. Balionycteris maculata and E. spelaea on the other hand carried five and four pollen types respectively, with Parkia sp. pollen grains collected the most from both species. Cynopterus brachyotis, C. horsefieldi and E. spelaea were the fruit bats that act as seed dispersal agents for five different Ficus sp. Not only the fruits were ingested, four fruits of three Ficus sp. were found to be carried by the bats in flight. Our study indicates the important of pteropodid bats particularly C. brachyotis as pollinator and seed dispersal at the study area.