Responses of fruit bats to habitat quantity and quality of selected forest patches in mt. kitanglad range, Bukidnon, Philippines

Mega chiropterans maintain high quality and quantity of the remaining forest ecosystem in Mt. Kitanglad Range. Hence, this study determined the different species of fruit bats in forest patches with varied quantity and quality influenced by human activities. Mist-netting technique was used comprising a total of 522 net-nights established in selected forest patches in Mt. Kitanglad Range. Results showed three Mindanao Faunal Region endemic species (Alionycteris paucidentata, Ptenochirus minor and Megaerops wetmorei), three Philippine endemic species (Haplonycteris fischeri, Ptenochirus jagori and Harpyionycteris whiteheadi), and three non-endemic species (Rousettus amplexicaudatus, Macroglossus minimus and Cynopterus brachyotis). There were nine species under Family Pteropodidae Order Chiroptera. Endemic species dominated the large, diverse forest areas with minimal human activities while non-endemic species inhabited the small forest areas with high level of human disturbances such as agricultural encroachment and growing population densities. The presence of highly tolerant species despite human disturbances in small forest areas would indicate a relatively degrading forest habitat that in turn, may affect the ecosystem services provided by the forest ecosystem of Mt. Kitanglad Range. Thus, endemic fruit bats were associated to large forested areas rendering high quality ecosystem services. This study suggested urgent reforestation of degraded areas to attain high forest quality and quantity and stable ecosystem services