|
Young World
Mutual aid
MADHAV GADGIL
Fluttering at night you
naughty fat bat,
How I wonder what you
are at!
Feasting on mango, jack
and fig,
There's no doubt you have
made it big!
Flavours of figs, fragrances of jasmines, colours of coral tree blooms, have all evolved to facilitate the transfer of pollen and the transport of seeds. Amongst the most striking of animals specialised to perform these tasks are fruit bats, whose nightly visits to sip the nectar and devour pulpy fruits help myriads of trees multiply themselves. Figs of a great variety, among them banyan and peepal, are a particularly important food source for the bats, for in contrast to most other species, those of the genus Ficus tend to fruit, of and on, all round the year. Indeed, it is believed that a whole assortment of insects, bats, monkeys and squirrels sustain themselves on figs when no other fruit is available. As a result, Ficus trees are termed a keystone resource, supporting a diversity of other life forms. It is perhaps in recognition of this role that most trees of this genus are considered sacred, in India in many other countries of Asia and Africa, and on islands in the Pacific ocean as well.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
|
