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Ryszard Oleksy - profile |
Ryszard Oleksy graduated from the University of Aberdeen where in 2009 he conducted field work for his honours project focusing on the consequences of hunting fruit bats on their conservation in Madagascar. The study aimed to collect information about the socio-economical values of bats in the Menabe region; reasons for hunting, market value, as well as the abundance and conservation of the bats. It looked at local beliefs and taboos and how they might relate to bat protection. Extrapolation of the data allowed Ryszard to estimate the numbers of bats killed in the area.
Currently Ryszard is a Ph.D. student at the University of Bristol supervised by Professor Gareth Jones, investigating the role of the largest Malagasy flying fox (Pteropus rufus) in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. His research focuses on germination success of bat-processed seeds and GPS tracking of bats to assess their ability to disperse seeds over long distances. The research aims to clarify the role these bats play in the maintenance and regeneration of Madagascar's forests. Malagasy fruit bats are among the most mobile mammals on the island, capable of seed dispersal beyond the forest boundaries and into clearings which makes them a keystone species in the forest ecosystem. However, the population of P. rufus is virtually without protection in Madagascar and it is still legal to hunt the bats between May and October (their breeding season), making the population vulnerable to future declines.
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 Roosting P. rufus © photo by R Oleksy |
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