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HERO ID
3323923
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Composition of guano produced by frugivorous, sanguivorous, and insectivorous bats
Author(s)
Emerson, JK; Roark, AM
Year
2007
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Acta Chiropterologica
ISSN:
1508-1109
Publisher
Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 64 Wilcza St
Volume
9
Issue
1
Page Numbers
261-267
DOI
10.3161/1733-5329(2007)9[261:COGPBF]2.0.CO;2
Web of Science Id
WOS:000249022100020
Abstract
Bat guano supports an assemblage of organisms that varies depending on the species of bat producing it. To determine whether these differences in community structure may be due to differences in guano composition, we analyzed guano from frugivorous (Pteropus rodricensis), sanguivorous (Desmodus rotundus), and insectivorous (Tadarida brasiliensis) bats. We found no differences among species in organic matter or lipid of guano. Desmodus guano contained more carbon (C) than Pteropus guano. The latter contained less nitrogen (N), and the former contained less phosphorous (P) than guano of the other two species. Pteropus guano had a higher C:N ratio, and Desmodus guano had higher N:P and C:P ratios than the other two species. These differences in guano composition suggest that guano from bats in different feeding guilds may affect ecosystem structure and dynamics differently.
Keywords
Chiroptera; frugivorous; insectivorous; sanguivorous; guano; composition; carbon; nitrogen; phosphorus; stoichiometry
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