The Bat Ripple case study shows ecological and economic contributions of grey headed flying foxes in Australia

Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) are globally important pollinators and seed dispersers. While their ecological services have been valued in parts of West Africa and Southeast Asia, no such estimates exist for Australia. Here, we introduce the Bat Ripple, quantifying the spatial extent and potential ecological and economic impact of flying foxes across continental Australia. Using data from the CSIRO National Flying-Fox Monitoring Program (2012-2022) and species-specific foraging distances (3-50 km), we first map the potential foraging influence of 1209 roosts of the four mainland flying fox species, estimating that these bats influence 11.6-41.4 million hectares, including forests, plantations, and restoration areas. We then focus on a scenario-based valuation using 465 selected grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) roosts, which alone are estimated to facilitate a median of ~ 91.6 million new trees annually across their maximum foraging range. We show that pollination services could potentially contribute between AUD $ 271 million and 955 million per year to the eucalypt timber industry. Our findings highlight the potential role of flying foxes in sustaining both ecosystem function and economic productivity in Australia.