Nectar-feeding bats are important pollinators of many tropical and subtropical plants. Yet, their relevance and economic importance for agriculture, silviculture and ecosystem health of natural ecosystems is largely underestimated. In the New World, Ceiba and Matisia (see picture) are pollinated by nectar-feeding glossophagine bats. Also, Agave plants are frequently visited and pollinated by bats. Agave plants are important for the Tequila industry. In the Old World, flowers of the Durian tree are pollinated by small flying foxes. Durian fruits are a million dollar ecomony in Southeast asia. Our group is interested in better understanding the monetary value of nectar-feeding bats for the human economy.

Seed dispersal is pivotal for forest regeneration and natural succession. Bats of the Old and New World are fullfilling an extremely importnat ecosystem service by feeding on fruits of various shrubs and trees. In the Old World, flying foxes (family Pteropodidae) are foraging on fruits of large canopy trees. In the New World, members of the family Phyllostomidae are feeding on both fruits of pioneer plants (successional species; see picture) but also on fruits of large canopy trees (climax species). In our studies, we try to shed light on the co-evoluationary interaction between plants and bats as fruit dispersers.