Pereira et al. 2025 (Article) Epiphyte, Nutrition, Brazil

Epiphytic tank bromeliads enhance nutrition and growth of terrestrial seedlings: Experimental evidence of a novel mechanism of facilitation

Author(s):—T.A.C. Pereira, R.S. Oliveira & G.Q. Romero

Publication:—Plant and Soil 2025: 1-14 (online). (2025) — DOI

Abstract:—Although facilitation is well established in ecological theory, facilitative interactions between plants in tropical rainforests remain underexplored. In coastal plain forests (Restinga forests), characterized by nutrient-poor acidic soils, overflow water from epiphytic tank bromeliads (ETBs) during rainfall elevates soil nutrient levels and pH. However, whether ETBs in the canopy facilitate seedling growth on the forest floor remains unknown. Here, we combined isotopic tracers with a fertilization experiment to investigate whether ETBs can enhance the nutrition and growth of a fast-growing species.

Keywords:—Atlantic rainforest · Direct facilitation · Epiphytes · Jacaranda puberula · Plant-plant interaction · Restinga forest