RESEARCH: OUTCOMES, VIEWPOINTS & PERSPECTIVES

Palynology of bat guano

Bat guano has been insufficiently exploited as palynological material for palaeo-landscape reconstruction. This is partly due to poor experimental background knowledge on bat-guano and pollen-rain relationships. We have addressed one of the primary taphonomic issues, viz., how well pollen in bat guano represents vegetation. We show that pollen analysis of fresh bat guano can reflect local vegetation of the environments surrounding the cavities where bat colonies reside. These results support the former palaeoecological interpretations by Bui-Thi-Mai & Girard (2000), Maher (2004), and especially Leroy & Simms (2004). Moreover, as it was stressed by Leroy & Simms (2004), bat guano may be a good tool to obtain information on entomophilous plants otherwise under-represented in peat bogs and lake sediments. However, more research is necessary to establish better control over different aspects such as bat behaviour and habitat interactions, in assessing the accuracy of bat dung pollen as proxies for past vegetation cover.
( SEE GRAPHIC: DCA PLOT FOR LOCALITIES)
( SEE GRAPHIC: DCA PLOTS FOR POLLEN TAXA)
( SEE GRAPHIC: SOURCES OF POLLEN IN BAT GUANO)

More in...

BUI-THI-MAI & GIRARD, M. 2000. Les guanos de chauve-souris d’âge médiéval de la Grande Grotte d’Arcy-sur-Cure (Yonne). Analyse pollinique et implications paléobotaniques. Géologie Alpine Mémoires 31 : 83-95

CARRIÓN, J.S., SCOTT, L. & MARAIS, E. (in press). Environmental implications of pollen spectra from bat droppings and potential for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Cimbebasia (Namibia)

DARNTON, B., PARMENTIER, J. & VAN EGMOND, W. 1999. Making a study of bat droppings (http:www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artapr99/bdbat.html)

LEROY, S.A.G. & SIMMS, M.J. 2004. Iron Age to Medieval entomogamous vegetation and Rhinolophus hipposideros roost in south-eastern Wales (UK). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (in press)

MAHER, L.J. Jr., 2004. Environmental information from the palynology of bat guano. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (in press)