Nocturnal Gardeners: Dispersal of Large Seeds by Tent‐Roosting Bats in the Lacandon Rainforest, Mexico

ABSTRACT Mutualistic interactions, particularly seed dispersal, are crucial for tropical ecosystem function. This study investigates the role of tent‐roosting bats in dispersing large seeds (> 5 mm) within the Lacandon Forest, Mexico, a region previously unexplored in this context. We documented tent presence, seed richness, diversity, and deposition rates at two sites, the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (RBMA) and the Yaxchilán Natural Monument (MNY). We identified 21 feeding tents and collected 2137 seeds from 54 species across 21 families. Notably, most of the dispersed species are associated with mature forests and represent multiple human uses, including timber, food, and medical. While Jaccard similarity index revealed distinct species compositions between sites, species accumulation curves indicated incomplete sampling, highlighting the complexity of the ecosystem and emphasizing the need for further investigations to fully understand dispersal of large seeds by bats in the Neotropics. Seed deposition rate was significantly higher under bat tents than in control areas, highlighting the contribution of bats to seed dispersal in the Neotropics. Extrapolating our data to the seven Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) of the Lacandon Ecosystem, we found that tent‐roosting bats may disperse between 21.5 and 79.8 million large seeds annually. Tent‐roosting bats provide an unusual and exciting opportunity to aid in forest management and restoration, where, with little training, forest technicians could associate with tent‐roosting bats to collect seeds to be used in reforestation. This research highlights the vital, yet often neglected, role of tent‐roosting bats in Neotropical seed dispersal, significantly contributing to forest regeneration and conservation.