Why are flying-foxes important?
They move pollen and seeds over vast areas of forest. The pollen is carried on their fur between flowering trees which can be many kilometres apart. Many Australian trees, especially eucalypts, need pollen from another tree of the same species to make fertile seed. Rainforest seeds are carried away from parent trees which gives them a chance to germinate and grow. Flying-foxes are essential in maintaining many ecosystems because they are able to move pollen and seeds over long distances and across cleared ground, thus linking patches of native vegetation. Birds and insects don’t fly the long distances needed. The clearing of native vegetation in the last two centuries has removed much of it and has left the remainder scattered in isolated patches.
