Unveiling bat-plant interactions in the Maranhão Cerrado

The Cerrado still represents a gap in knowledge about interactions between bats and plants, especially in the state of Maranhão. As this is the first study focused on the diet of frugivorous bats in the region, its aim was to characterize the interspecific frugivory relationships. We captured bats during dry and rainy season of 2014 and 2015, across 48 sites in six municipalities, using an effort of 13.8 km of mist nets over 96 sampling. A total of 929 bats were captured, distributed in 25 species, 18 genera and 5 subfamilies. The most abundant species were Carollia perspicillata (33.3%), Phyllostomus discolor (26.2%) and Artibeus planirostris (8.9%). Sixteen new records of plant species associated with bats were identified in the Brazilian Cerrado. The results highlight the high dietary plasticity of C. perspicillata compared to other species, as a keystone species in local frugivory networks. This study emphasizes the ecological importance of fruit bats in seed dispersal in the Cerrado of Maranhão, reinforcing the diversity of the local fauna. Documenting novel plant-bat interactions underscore the ecological importance of these species in sustaining and regenerating natural ecosystems, while simultaneously contributing to the closure of knowledge gaps and informing biodiversity conservation efforts.