Experimental pollinator exclusion of Sonneratia alba suggests bats are more important pollinator agents than moths
2017
Ahmad Fadhli Adzemi | Nor Zalipah Mohamed
Sonneratia alba is known to be pollinated by several nocturnal pollinating agents including bats and moths. However, the relative contribution of these pollinators in reproductive success of this mangrove species is unknown. Here, we evaluated the importance of bats and moths as pollinators to S. alba flowers by conducting pollinating exclusion experiments in the Setiu mangrove area, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Sonneratia alba was found to be not completely self-incompatible, thus the roles of pollinating agents are still vital. Pollination of S. alba by moths produced high quality fruits and seeds. The highest fruit set and high quality fruits and seeds are recorded in open pollination and cross pollination, respectively. However, our preliminary findings suggestthat bats are relatively more important pollinators for S. alba than moths. Therefore the conservation of bats is vital to ensure the healthy population of the Sonneratia trees, which indirectly will contribute to survival of the mangrove habitats.
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