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| Author(s): |
Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2006-07-26 |
| Examining board members: |
Wesley Rodrigues Silva;
Marcelo Rodrigues Nogueira;
Ariovaldo Pereira Cruz Neto;
Mauro Galetti Rodrigues;
João Vasconcellos Neto
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| Advisor: | Elisabeth Klara Viktoria Kalko; Wesley Rodrigues Silva |
| Abstract | |
Bats have a high ecological importance in the Neotropics for they are highly diverse, very abundant and interact with many plant and animal species. Phyllostomid bats of the subfamily Stenodermatinae are specialized frugivores and important seed dispersers, and Sturnira lilium prefers fruits of the Solanaceae, a family of high ecological and economical value. The goal of the present study was to investigate four main aspects and test hypotheses related to the way this interaction occurs and how it affects both groups. As expected, the diet of S. lilium was totally frugivore and Solanaceae prevailed. Bat abundance presented two short peaks throughout the year, while fruit production presented a single, but longer, peak. Bats left the area during colder months and probably migrated to lower and warmer altitudes to escape the severe climate and to search for Solanaceae fruits. Most S. lilium females reproduced during wetter and warmer months, during the highest fruit availability. The Solanaceae showed to be a reliable food source for S. lilium, and their phenology seemed to regulate bat population dynamics. S. lilium showed no roost fidelity, and used large commuting distances and foraging areas, if compared to other small mammals. Seed dispersal by S. lilium seemed to be highly beneficial for plants, according to the classical hypotheses of escape, colonization and limited dispersal. I observed no evidences of lunar phobia in S. lilium, despite having observed in other two frugivorous phyllostomids, Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata. Differences in response to moonlight may be explained by foraging habitat, diet and spatio-temporal distribution of food-plants, and may have consequences for the reproductive success of food-plants. Results of the present study suggest that the relationship between S. lilium and the Solanaceae is very strong, and that it is also beneficial for both groups, affecting populations of bats and plants, and consequently the structure of the whole community (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 02/09286-0 - Influence of the seasonal climatic variations on bat-plant interactions: effects on patterns of foraging and dispersion of seeds in bats of the Sturnira lilium species |
| Grantee: | Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |