Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs

[UngulateNerd92]

Bats help keep forests growing. Without bats to hold their populations in check, insects that munch on tree seedlings go wild, doing three to nine times more damage than when bats are on the scene. That's according to a new study from the University of Illinois. The article, "Bats reduce insect density and defoliation in temperate forests: an exclusion experiment," is published in Ecology.

Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs

 

[Zooplantman]

We keep seeing more studies demonstrating how predators control species that, left unchecked, would destroy ecosystems. The mountain of evidence of the complexity and balance of ecosystems is astounding

 

[UngulateNerd92]

We keep seeing more studies demonstrating how predators control species that, left unchecked, would destroy ecosystems. The mountain of evidence of the complexity and balance of ecosystems is astounding

Ecological networks are definitely a fascinating subject! Thank you for your interest in this article.