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 (~30m) and far from (~500m) 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-传粉者互作（plant-pollinator interactions）对生态系统至关重要。然而，若某一区域内存在人工花蜜喂食器，便可能将传粉者从植物处吸引走。本研究于厄瓜多尔云雾林内开展实验，探究人工花蜜喂食器对蝙蝠-植物互作的四个维度的影响：(1) 蝙蝠相对多度；(2) 蝙蝠花粉载量；(3) 花朵访花率；以及(4) 蝙蝠传粉植物Burmeistera glabrata的繁殖成功率。我们将研究区域划分为距离3处不同喂食器站点较近（约30米）与较远（约500米）的两类区域。我们在每类距离区间内捕捉花蜜食性蝙蝠（Anoura caudifer、Anoura cultrata与Lonchophylla robusta），以评估其相对多度，并从其皮毛与粪便样本中采集花粉。此外，我们对花朵进行录像以统计访花率，并记录B. glabrata的多项繁殖成功率相关指标。研究结果显示，靠近喂食器的区域内蝙蝠相对多度提升了40倍。尽管如此，喂食器的存在并未对蝙蝠花粉载量、花朵访花率以及B. glabrata的繁殖成功率造成显著影响。值得注意的是，三种蝙蝠的花粉载量存在显著差异：Lonchophylla robusta个体几乎不携带花粉，且仅在喂食器附近被捕捉到。