SAVE THE MARIANA FRUIT BAT
This bat has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1996, and still, little action had been taken! (Pteropus, 2008). Partly, this is because humans have a deep rooted fear of bats--but the Mariana Fruit Bat is cute, and it also has many economic benefits! Before the 1960s, the Mariana Fruit Bat thrived on Guam and the Mariana Islands, but due to its causes of endangerment, its population began to die out. On Guam, there was estimated to be 3,000 of these advantageous fruit bats in 1958. However, by 1972 there were less than 1,000, and by 1974, there were less than 100. Now, while the steep population decrease has slowed down, there is still estimated to be less than 50 fruit bats left on Guam, and the numbers of these defenseless bats are shrinking (Brown, 2011).
Spreading Seeds While Mariana Fruit bats live dispersed from each other, the first few weeks of their lives are spent in their roosting sites, in which they develop into the economically beneficial bats that they are. The Mariana Fruit bats grow to play an important role in Guam’s economy, as well as in the environment. When they eat fruit and then excrete it, they spread seeds to other parts of the island. Imagine the seed spreading benefits if there were thousands of these bats, like there used to be before the 1960s. They also migrate between islands in the Mariana Islands, and thus spread seeds thoroughly through this part of the world. This brings in more fruit trees and plants for richer plant life (Mariana, 2012).
Guano Additionally, Mariana Fruit Bats don’t digest the seeds, and instead coat them with a small shell of fertilizer from their body. When these large colorful bats land on trees to munch on fruit, they store the seeds in a separate part of their bodies, where they aren’t processed like the rest of the fruit. When they excrete the seeds, their excrements cover the seeds in small balls. Through these undeniably helpful ecosystem services, the Mariana Fruit Bats contribute to a massive part of Guam’s economy. Have you ever bought bat excrement fertilizer at your local garden store? This is called guano, and is a rich and frequently used fertilizer for agriculture (Wiles, 2004). Guano is an extremely rich fertilizer, and well processed guano can cost over $200 for a small 20 lbs bag (Brown, 2011). Guano is sought out by organic gardeners and commercial companies alike, and is extremely high quality. Imagine the blow to Guam’s economy if guano was lost! Ultimately, Guam would lose millions of dollars and have one less product to sell.
Pollination Finally, Mariana Fruit Bats play an important role in pollination of plants, which benefits Guam’s agriculture. The bats suck the nectar from the center of flowers, and the get pollen on their fur. When they fly away, they carry the pollen from flower to flower for further agricultural benefits (Lemke, 1986). There is not even a number of dollars to sum up this massive role in Guam’s economy - how would Guam and the Mariana Islands pollinate their fruit without this keystone species? Every plant needs pollination, and Guam would suffer unbelievably without the help of these bats. Bees would be forced to do all of the pollination work, which would overwork, and potentially be too much work, for the bee, another keystone species (Brooke, 2015).
Natural Disaster Regeneration Guam and the Mariana Islands are particularly vulnerable to massive natural disasters, including typhoons and volcanic eruptions. As mentioned earlier, every 10 - 15 years, Guam has a massive typhoon, with winds over 150 mph, that has the ability to destroy cities and populations (Brown, 2011). While the Mariana Fruit Bat is affected by these disasters as well, those that can survive are a massive economic help in regeneration. Due to their excellent ability to spread seeds, the seeds that they have stored in their bodies will help regenerate forests and plants to bring the island’s natural habitat back to its original state. Without these bats it would take many additional years for enough seeds to be planted in order to regenerate a forest after a massive and unpreventable disaster (Pteropus, 2008).
In order to restore this species, there would need to be an estimated $12,578,000 spent on education, restoration, preservation, and prevention of further endangerment (Draft, 2009). While this may seem like a massive expense, we have to ask the question, why not? One significant problem that stands in the way of restoration is the cultural significance of fanihi, and in the past, humans have been able to move away from cultural tradition when it proves to be harmful. Additionally, military bases could be used as protection sites for the Mariana Fruit Bat, like the Anderson Air Force Base has already began to do (read on Laws and Acts page). There are many aforementioned economic benefits that Guam and the Mariana Islands would surely miss with the loss of these bats, and additionally, the economic benefits that the Mariana Fruit Bats provide could outweigh the cost of restoration. It is up to you to decide whether this unique and harmless bat should receive the help that it needs.
How Would Saving It Help The Economy?
How Much Would This Cost?
So It's Dying, But Why Should We Save It?
