Flying Foxes as Strong Interactors in South Pacific Island Ecosystems: A Conservation Hypothesis
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Publication Date
12-1-1991
Abstract
The dependency of highly endemic island floras on few potential pollinators in depauperate island faunas suggests that pollinators and seed dispersers may be crucial in the preservation of biodiversity in isolated oceanic islands. We discuss the hypothesis that flying foxes are “strong interactors” in South Pacific islands where they serve as the principal pollinators and seed dispersers, This suggests that the ongoing decline and ultimate extinction of flying fox species on Pacific islands may lead to a cascade of linksed plant extinctions. We propose an empirical test of this hypothesis: comparisons of plant reproductive success in Guam, which has virtually lost its flying fox populations, and Samoa, where significant populations remain.
Document Type
Article
Notes
Conservation Biology, Vol. 5, no. 4 (1991-12).
Identifier
SFS0069157_00001
Recommended Citation
Cox, Paul Alan; Elmqvist, Thomas; and Pierson, Elizabeth D., "Flying Foxes as Strong Interactors in South Pacific Island Ecosystems: A Conservation Hypothesis" (1991). KIP Articles. 1971.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/1971
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