Crumbling Island Keystones - Threat Diversity and Intensification on Islands Push Large Island Fruit Bats to the Brink

Sep 4, 2026

Large island fruit bats (LIFB) are keystone species for island conservation in the Palaeotropics, delivering essential dispersal and pollination services for native plant communities. Their keystone function is rapidly failing because LIFB constitute the most threatened bat group globally, with recent extinctions and a majority of species assessed as threatened by the IUCN. Reviews synthesize key threats—overhunting, habitat loss, urbanisation, climate change, invasives, and persecution—and explain how island contexts intensify declines. Recommendations target habitat protection, behavioral change, stronger law enforcement, urgent captive breeding, and expanded research capacity, supported by prioritized research needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOC

Pages31

Reading Time11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods and data

Conservation status

Threat diversity and intensification

Hunting

Habitat degradation and land-use change

Urbanisation

Climate change

Invasive species

Persecution

Overarching research needs

Population sizes and trends - long-term monitoring and population modeling

Life history and social ecology

Dietary, roosting and movement ecology

Human attitudes and behaviours towards large island fruit bats

Island-specific threats to large island fruit bats

Distributions, populations and ecology of non-Pteropus species

Conservation actions

Protect and restore native habitats

Implement multi-faceted campaigns to (re)set attitudes and alter specific conservation-relevant behaviour

Strengthen legislation and enforcement

Captive breeding

Build and network research capacity

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

Crumbling Island Keystones: Threat Diversity and Intensification on Islands Push Large Island Fruit Bats to the Brink Tigga Kingston*1, F. B. Vincent Florens2, Christian E. Vincenot3 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, USA and Co-Chair, Bat Specialist Group – Old World, Species Survival Commission, IUCN. 2 Tropical Island Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation Pole of Research, University of Mauritius, Le Réduit, 80837, Mauritius. 3 Department of Social Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan. *Corresponding author tigga.kingston@ttu.edu Tel: +1 806 834 2594 Abstract Large island fruit bats (LIFB), species of Pteropus, Acerodon, and related genera in the pteropodid subfamily Pteropodinae, are keystone species for island conservation in the Palaeotropics, playing critical roles as agents of dispersal and pollination of native island plant communities. This keystone role is crumbling because LIFB are collectively the most threatened group of bats in the world. Six species (7.4%) have gone extinct in the last 200 years and ~66% of extant species are assessed as threatened by the IUCN. Life history characteristics, long lives, and low reproductive rates, elevate vulnerability and species are commonly subject to multiple threats. Here we review the primary threats to LIFB, namely unsustainable hunting, habitat degradation and loss, urbanisation, climate change, invasive species, and persecution. We highlight how the island context intensifies and accelerates population and species declines. We make specific recommendations in response to the major threats and identify overarching research needs to support conservation action. Specifically, research is needed that addresses: (1) population sizes and trends; (2) life history and social ecology; (3) dietary, roosting and movement ecology; (4) human attitudes and behaviors towards LIFB; (5) island-specific threats to LIFB; (6) distributions, populations and ecology of non-Pteropus species. Although there is great complexity of threats and contexts, five key conservation actions emerge that have the collective potential to secure LIFB populations throughout their ranges: (1) protect and restore native habitats; (2) improve attitudes and behaviours towards LIFB; (3) strengthen protective legislation and enforcement; (4) captive breeding of species at immediate risk of extinction; (5) build and network research and conservation capacity. Key words: flying fox, monkey-faced bat, island conservation, keystone species, Pteropus, Acerodon, hunting, habitat loss, climate change. CONTENTS Introduction Methods and data Conservation status Threat diversity and intensification (1) Hunting (2) Habitat degradation and land-use change (3) Urbanisation -- of people and bats (4) Climate change (5) Invasive species (6) Persecution Overarching research needs (1) Population sizes and trends -- long-term monitoring and population modeling (2) Life history and social ecology (3) Dietary, roosting and movement ecology (4) Human attitudes and behaviours towards large island fruit bats (5) Island-specific threats to large island fruit bats (6) Distributions, populations and ecology of non-Pteropus species Conservation actions (1) Protect and restore native habitats (2) Implement multi-faceted campaigns to (re)set attitudes and alter specific conservation-relevant behaviour (3) Strengthen legislation and enforcement (4) Captive breeding (5) Build and network research capacity Conclusions Acknowledgements References I. INTRODUCTION It is nearly 50 years since hunting of the endemic little Marianas fruit bat (Pteropus tokudae) for human consumption on the Pacific island of Guam extirpated the species (Wiles, 1987a). Over the following 15 years (1975-1989), demand in Guam reduced the other native Pteropus species, P. mariannus, to less than 100 animals and led to imports of more than 220,000 bats of ten Pteropus species from other islands in Micronesi

FAQs

Why are large island fruit bats considered keystone species for island ecosystems?

They provide critical roles as agents of dispersal and pollination for native island plant communities, supporting ecosystem functioning across islands.

What threats are identified as driving declines in large island fruit bats?

The document highlights unsustainable hunting, habitat degradation and loss, urbanisation, climate change, invasive species, and persecution.

How does the island context change the dynamics of threats to these bats?

The review explains that island-specific conditions intensify and accelerate population and species declines, increasing overall vulnerability and reducing recovery potential.

Sep 4, 2026

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