INTERAÇÕES ENTRE MORCEGOS (CHIROPTERA: PHYLLOSTOMIDAE) E PLANTAS NO CERRADO DO NORDESTE MARANHENSE

Abstract

The interfaces of the Cerrado biome with bats confer different ecosystem services performed by these animals, necessary to maintain the biome. Bats are part of a tangle of connections that influence dynamics, distribution and local landscape. Therefore, this study aimed to diagnose the species of bats with the greatest number of interactions with plant species; to determine the diversity of species dispersed by bats and their associations with changes in vegetation cover in the Cerrado of Maranhão. Six municipalities of the northeast of Maranhão were selected with occurrence of Cerrado. To capture the bats were used fog nets and each individual was conditioned individually in previously clean cloth bags, for approximately 30 min, to obtain the faeces to extract the seeds. In order to know the floral species visited by the bats, the pollen adhered to the coat was collected. The seeds and pollens were identified through specific guides and both samples were sent for identification by specialists. In this study 25 species of bats of the family Phyllostomidae were captured, distributed in 18 genera and 5 subfamilies. In total, 929 individuals were collected, with the most abundant species being Carollia perspicillata (33.3%), Phyllostomus discolor (26.2%) and Artibeus planirostris (8.9%). About 70% of the captured bats contributed faeces samples and 36% of these samples contained seeds. In relation to the pollen grains present in the coat, 203 individuals were positive of the total captured (21.1%). The results of this study reveal the heterogeneity of fruits used by chiroptera as components of their diet. In addition to the main frugivorous diet, it was found that bats made use of pollen and insects as secondary foods. Among the 11 species of bats registered with pollen, Phyllostomus discolor presented a higher number of association, although floral resources are sought especially by nectarivorous bats, as is the case of Glossophaga soricina, the results of this study indicate a strong prevalence of frugivorous bats using floral resources as a food source. Thus, studied areas of Cerrado denote a great diversity of vegetal species potentially used in the feeding of frugivorous bats.