Cogliatti-Carvalho et al. 2010 (Article) Brazil [Spanish]

Water volume stored in bromeliad tanks in Brazilian restinga habitats

Author(s):—Thereza Christina Rocha-Pessôa Luciana Cogliatti-Carvalho & Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha in 2010

Publication:—Acta bot. bras. 24(1): 84-95. (2010)

Spanish title:—Volume de água armazenada no tanque de bromélias, em restingas da costa brasileira

Abstract:—Many bromeliad species store rain water in tanks, as a result of the spiraled distribution of their leaves. The aim of this study was to evaluate how much water is stored and what is the maximum volume of water possible to be stored in different tank-bromeliad species in 13 different Brazilian restingas. The species were recorded in 100 plots of 100 m2, in each restinga habitat. For each bromeliad species, the effective and the maximum water stored in the tanks were measured. We found 32 tank-bromeliad species and 59,007 bromeliad rosettes, with a maximum volume estimated in 44,388 liters, and approximately 17,000 liters of effective water stored. We found interspecific difference in effective and maximum volume of water stored. Aechmea aquilega, A. blanchetiana and Hohenbergia castelanosii had the highest effective water volume stored in their tanks. Only A. nudicaulis and Billbergia amoena showed differences among their populations in all analyzed parameters. The restingas of Maricá, Prado, Trancoso and Jurubatiba had the highest volumes. ha-1 of water stored inside bromeliad

Keywords:—Bromeliaceae, tank bromeliad, free water availability, rosette shape