Data from: Preference of an insular flying fox for seed figs enhances seed dispersal of a dioecious species

Interactions among multiple species form complex networks of
interdependences and are considered primary factors in the generation and
maintenance of biodiversity. Pteropodid bats are keystone species that
provide important ecosystem services of pollination and seed dispersal in
the tropics and subtropics. In this study, we investigated the utilization
and preference of food resources by the insular frugivorous flying fox
Pteropus dasymallus. We found that fig species constituted the major
portion of the diet of the flying fox (94.6%). When foraging, the flying
fox preferred seed figs from female trees over gall figs from male trees
in functionally dioecious fig species. Germination experiments showed a
significantly higher percentage of germination for fig seeds in feces than
those from pellets and ripe figs (feces: 80.2%, pellets: 23.4%, ripe figs:
32.9%). Considering the active selection of seed figs and avoidance of
gall figs by foraging flying foxes, we suggest that the abundance of seed
figs accurately represents food availability for dioecy. This preference
for seed figs or viable seeds can effectively promote the survival of
pollinating wasps and might reinforce the evolution of dioecism in figs.
In addition, the effects of gut passage on seed germination, in
combination with the capacity of flying foxes to travel long distances,
may substantially contribute to the efficiency of flying foxes as seed
dispersers.