©iNaturalist Australia

AUSTRALIA — Each night, a dark cloud of flying foxes, or fruit bats, moves through the skies of eastern Australia. With a meter-wide wingspan, they transport large quantities of pollen and rain down seeds in their poop, helping establish new trees. A new study in Scientific Reports provides the first economic valuation of the ecosystem services provided by flying foxes in Australia, focusing on their significant contribution to the timber industry. Recent fires and heat stress events have led to colony loss and a dramatic drop in bat numbers; more than 80% of some populations have been wiped out amid extreme heat events. …Flying foxes can travel thousands of kilometers per year, spreading pollen and seeds over large distances, making their economic value immense. …Study author Alexander Braczkowski said that Australia’s flying foxes “may be responsible for generating between AUD $271 million and $955 million annually for the Australian timber industry through their pollination services alone.”