Frugivorous bats as facilitators of natural regeneration in degraded habitats: A potential global tool

The olfactory capacity in bats and their strong preference for some fruits has led to the development of a forest restoration tool that uses the essential oils of their preferred fruit. The idea is based on the assumption that, once these bats were attracted by olfactory cues from the essential oils to a “new food source,” they would spend a certain amount of time flying around these new food sources. This technique has great potential for natural methods of regeneration assisted by dispersers, increasing arrival of chiropterochoric seeds in areas that otherwise may not be frequently visited by frugivorous bats. Although we developed this technique on Neotropical species, we believe it has the potential to be used around the world to recover degraded forests. Here, we explore parallels between New (Phyllostomidae) and Old World (Pteropodidae) seed dispersing bats to support this proposal. Review data showed that Cynopterus, Pteropus, and Rousettus seem to be the closest functional genera to those (Artibeus, Carollia, Sturnira) tested in the Neotropical region, based on their wide distribution, diet diversity and great consumption of Ficus - whose oils are known to attract fruit bats. Experiments need to be designed to further develop the technique to apply it to the Old World and contribute to the restoration of degraded forests. •Restoration technique based on seed dispersal by bats attracted by essential oils•Bats are lured by the odor of potential food and carry seeds to degraded areas•Based on New World fruit bats, but it is possible to expand the technique•Foraging characteristics of three Old World bats comply with the tool requisites•Low-cost restoration technique that can be widely used