Frugivoria de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) em Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) e seus efeitos na germinação das sementes

Abstract

Frugivorous bats are fundamental components in the maintenance and regeneration of tropical forests since they promote the mobility of the fruit seeds. There are controversies about the effects of the seed passage through the bat gut in the germination tax and speed. The goal of this work was to investigate the diet of frugivorous bat species at Estação Experimental de Itirapina to find out which species significantly use the fruits of the pioneer plants species Cecropia pachystachya. It was tested the importance of bats on the spread and germination of seeds from this plant species. For that, the bats were captured in the period from August 2005 to July 2006, their feces were collected and the seeds of C. pachystachya separated. The germination tests were made for two bat species, Artibeus liuratus and Platyrrhinus lineatus, and were compared with seeds collected directly from the plant (control). Five repetitions were made with 30 seeds in each gerbox for each test. The tests were conducted in " Mangelsdorf" germinators chambers, with temperature of 25°C, luminosity and constant humidity for 40 days. There was a high germination percentage of the seeds found in A. lituratus (79,3%), and it did not differ statistically from the seeds control (76%). These results were superior from P. lineatus (52%). Regarding the Germination Speed Index (IVG), the results were similar, being 2,73 for A. lituratus, 2,66 for the control seeds and 1,80 for P. lineatus. It was concluded that the passage of the seeds of C. pachystachya through the bats gut did not increase the percentage or the speed of germination, when compared with the control seeds, being smaller for P. lineatus. With the results obtained, it was concluded that the effects of the bats gut passage in the germination still needs further studies but the benefits of seed dispersion of C. pachystachya promoted by four bat species in the studied place cannot be refused.