Monocultures of soybeans and other agricultural export products threaten animal species whose absence implies the loss of essential ecological functions such as seed dispersal and the maintenance of plant diversity.
MADRID, Nov. 19. (EUROPA PRESS).- The expansion of monocultures in the Brazilian Amazon is altering the lives of fruit bats -key species for the dispersion of seeds and the maintenance of the vegetation– and, with them, the balance of the Amazonian savannahs.
This was revealed by two studies published in the journals Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment y Biological Conservationcarried out by researchers from Brazil, Portugal y Spainincluding the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM).
The results show that, in the savannahs of the state of Amapá, where soybean cultivation predominates, bats practically stop flying. Its absence implies the loss of essential ecological functions such as seed dispersal and the maintenance of plant diversity.
“When bats disappear, the natural interactions that sustain the landscape also disappear,” the authors stated.
The expansion of monocultures threatens bats and the ecological balance of the Amazon, according to two studies
— Ciencia Plus (@cienciaplus) November 19, 2025
In eucalyptus plantations, the situation is not much better. Some bat species persist, but ecological networks between plants and dispersers become fragile, dominated by a few generalist species. This results in an impoverished ecological service, unable to sustain diversity in the long term.
The researchers emphasize that the problem is not limited to the number of bats, but to their functional diversity, that is, the variety of ecological roles they play.
In agricultural areas, this diversity is reduced “drastically.” Thus, where different species once dispersed different types of seeds, today only a few survive, unable to maintain the same balance.
In a preserved savannah, bats consume a variety of fruits and disperse the seeds of numerous plants, ensuring the resilience of the ecosystem. In soybean fields, this ecological network is practically nullified. The result is a poorer, less stable landscape with less capacity to recover from fires or droughts.
🔴 Livestock and soy: the main drivers of deforestation in the Amazon, indicates the new report “Footprint in the Amazon 2025”. All the details: pic.twitter.com/MSEHwpL8PP
— Discover WWF (@WWFnoticias) November 18, 2025
Although their activity goes unnoticed at night, the loss of fruit bats has direct effects on the natural regeneration of savannahs and forests.
Without their action, ecosystems take much longer to recover, which has an impact on biodiversity, the natural resources on which local communities depend (such as fruits, wood or clean water) and the climate resilience of the region.
The Amazonian savannahs are also often mistakenly considered “open lands available” for agricultural expansion. The authors recalled that these are ancient ecosystems, interconnected with the Amazon forests and essential to maintain the ecological stability of northern Brazil.
The research also offered concrete alternatives. Maintaining strips of savanna and forest within agricultural areas could function as a refuge for bats and other animals, allowing them to continue moving through the landscape and fulfilling their function as seed dispersers.
Although their appearance may impress you, fruit bats provide invaluable ecological services. What are they? Do you want to meet them? Already, in Chronicles of #Fauna: “The other bats. The flying foxes” #Bats 🦇🦇🦇🦇 pic.twitter.com/8gGlct2F11
— cronicasdefauna (@cronicasdefauna) November 17, 2020
Likewise, the authors insisted on the need for specific public policies for the Amazonian savannahs, which today lack adequate legal recognition, like the Cerrado biome. “Valuing and protecting the savannas means protecting their biodiversity, their ecological services and their culture,” they stressed.
“It is not about choosing between agricultural production and conservation, but about finding ways of sustainable coexistence,” defended the researchers, who highlight that the adoption of agricultural practices that maintain corridors of vegetation and natural areas “can guarantee both productivity and biodiversity.”
The authors noted that “every seed carried by bats is a promise of new trees, new fruits, regeneration of forests and savannahs, and a more resilient and diverse landscape.”
The #FoodSafety It depends on biodiversity, but we are losing it at an alarming rate.
Let’s change the way we produce, process and consume food to protect biodiversity.
➡️ #FAO80 pic.twitter.com/rACNrBm73k
— FAO in Paraguay (@ FaoParaguay) November 19, 2025