Data from: Do artificial nectar feeders affect bat–plant interactions in an Ecuadorian cloud forest?

Plant–pollinator interactions are critical to ecosystems. However, when artificial nectar feeders are available in an area, they could draw pollinators away from plants. We tested the effects of artificial nectar feeders in an Ecuadorian cloud forest on four aspects of bat–plant interactions: (1) bat relative abundance; (2) bat pollen loads; (3) flower visitation rates, and (4) breeding success of a bat-pollinated species (Burmeistera glabrata). We divided the study site into areas close to (~30 m) and far from (~500 m) three different feeder sites. At each distance, we captured nectar bats (Anoura caudifer, Anoura cultrata, and Lonchophylla robusta) to estimate their relative abundance and to collect pollen from fur and fecal samples. We also videotaped flowers to estimate bat visitation rates and recorded different breeding success variables of B. glabrata. We found that areas close to feeders have higher relative bat abundance by a factor of 40. In spite of this, the presence of feeders did not affect bat pollen loads, nor the flower visitation rates and breeding success of B. glabrata. Interestingly, there were differences in pollen loads between the three bat species, in that L. robusta individuals rarely carried pollen and were only captured near feeders.植物与传粉者的相互作用对生态系统至关重要。然而，若某一区域内设置人工花蜜喂食器，则可能会将传粉者从原生植物处吸引走。本研究于厄瓜多尔云雾林中开展实验，探究人工花蜜喂食器对蝙蝠-植物相互作用四个维度的影响：（1）蝙蝠相对丰度；（2）蝙蝠花粉负载量；（3）花朵访花率；（4）蝙蝠传粉物种布氏壶花（Burmeistera glabrata）的繁殖成功率。我们将研究区域划分为靠近3个不同喂食器站点（约30米范围内）以及远离该类站点（约500米范围内）的两类区域。在每个距离梯度下，我们捕获花蜜蝙蝠（尾无尾果蝠Anoura caudifer、宽耳无尾果蝠Anoura cultrata以及强壮长舌蝠Lonchophylla robusta）以估算其相对丰度，并从其皮毛与粪便样本中采集花粉。此外，我们通过对花朵进行视频录制以统计蝙蝠访花率，并记录了布氏壶花（B. glabrata）的各项繁殖成功相关指标。研究发现，喂食器附近区域的蝙蝠相对丰度是较远区域的40倍。尽管如此，喂食器的存在并未对蝙蝠花粉负载量、花朵访花率以及布氏壶花的繁殖成功率造成显著影响。值得注意的是，三种蝙蝠的花粉负载量存在显著差异：强壮长舌蝠（Lonchophylla robusta）几乎不携带花粉，且仅在喂食器附近区域被捕获。