Disponibilidad de recurso y dieta de murciélagos frugívoros en la Estación Biológica Tunquini, Bolivia
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Ecología en Bolivia
Abstract
La disponibilidad de recursos alimenticios es uno de los factores más importantes que afectan la dieta y comportamiento de forrajeo de murciélagos frugívoros. En este estudio examinamos la composición del gremio de murciélagos frugívoros en la Estación Biológica Tunquini (EBT) - Cotapata y pusimos a prueba la hipótesis de que la dieta de murciélagos frugívoros varía en relación a la disponibilidad de recurso a lo largo de un año. Cuantificamos la dieta analizando las semillas encontradas en muestras fecales y evaluamos la disponibilidad de frutos en ocho parcelas durante nueve periodos de muestreo. Capturamos 23 especies de murciélagos, 12 de las cuales eran predominantemente frugívoras y representaron el 90% del total de capturas. La dieta estuvo representada predominantemente por seis especies de plantas, entre las cuales dominaban Vismia sp., Solanum riparium y Piper elongatum. Observamos una alta superposición en el uso de recurso entre las especies más comunes de murciélagos frugívoros capturados. La dieta a lo largo del año varió de acuerdo a la fenología de tres de las seis especies vegetales analizadas: S. riparium, Vismia sp. y Piper psilophyllum. El hecho de que el gremio de murciélagos frugívoros estaba fuertemente dominado por especies del sotobosque y que la dieta consistió principalmente de sólo seis especies de plantas pioneras es consecuencia de la baja diversidad de recursos alimenticios para este grupo en las cercanías a la EBT. Esta área está influenciada por actividades antropogénicas y tiene un componente importante de especies de sucesión secundaria que proveen recurso mayormente para frugívoros de sotobosque.
A range of factors can influence the diet and foraging behavior of frugivorous bats among which the most important is food resource availability. In this study we examined the composition of frugivorous bats at the Tunquini Biological Station (TBE) - Cotapata, and tested the hypothesis that the diet of frugivorous bats varies in relation to resource availability in a one year period. Diet was quantified by analyzing seeds found in fecal samples and fruit availability evaluated in eight plots during nine sampling periods. We captured 23 species of bats, 12 of which were predominantly frugivorous and represented 90% of the total captures. The diet consisted mainly of six plant species among which Vismia sp., Solanum riparium and Piper elongatum were dominant. We observed high resource use overlap amongst the most common frugivorous bat species captured. Bat diet varied in relation to plant phenology in three of the six plant species considered: S. riparium, Vismia sp. and Piper psilophyllum. The fact that the bat community is strongly dominated by understory frugivores and that their diet consisted mainly of six plant species is likely a consequence of the low diversity of food resources available for frugivores bats in the proximities of the TBE. This habitat is influenced by human activities and has an important component of plant species of secondary succession, which provide resources mostly for understory frugivores.
A range of factors can influence the diet and foraging behavior of frugivorous bats among which the most important is food resource availability. In this study we examined the composition of frugivorous bats at the Tunquini Biological Station (TBE) - Cotapata, and tested the hypothesis that the diet of frugivorous bats varies in relation to resource availability in a one year period. Diet was quantified by analyzing seeds found in fecal samples and fruit availability evaluated in eight plots during nine sampling periods. We captured 23 species of bats, 12 of which were predominantly frugivorous and represented 90% of the total captures. The diet consisted mainly of six plant species among which Vismia sp., Solanum riparium and Piper elongatum were dominant. We observed high resource use overlap amongst the most common frugivorous bat species captured. Bat diet varied in relation to plant phenology in three of the six plant species considered: S. riparium, Vismia sp. and Piper psilophyllum. The fact that the bat community is strongly dominated by understory frugivores and that their diet consisted mainly of six plant species is likely a consequence of the low diversity of food resources available for frugivores bats in the proximities of the TBE. This habitat is influenced by human activities and has an important component of plant species of secondary succession, which provide resources mostly for understory frugivores.
Description
Vol. 41, No. 1