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Nitrogen fluxes from treefrogs to tank epiphytic bromeliads: an isotopic and physiological approach

  • Plant-Animal interactions - Original Paper
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Abstract

Diverse invertebrate and vertebrate species live in association with plants of the large Neotropical family Bromeliaceae. Although previous studies have assumed that debris of associated organisms improves plant nutrition, so far little evidence supports this assumption. In this study we used isotopic (15N) and physiological methods to investigate if the treefrog Scinax hayii, which uses the tank epiphytic bromeliad Vriesea bituminosa as a diurnal shelter, contributes to host plant nutrition. In the field, bromeliads with frogs had higher stable N isotopic composition (δ15N) values than those without frogs. Similar results were obtained from a controlled greenhouse experiment. Linear mixing models showed that frog feces and dead termites used to simulate insects that eventually fall inside the bromeliad tank contributed, respectively, 27.7% (±0.07 SE) and 49.6% (±0.50 SE) of the total N of V. bituminosa. Net photosynthetic rate was higher in plants that received feces and termites than in controls; however, this effect was only detected in the rainy, but not in the dry season. These results demonstrate for the first time that vertebrates contribute to bromeliad nutrition, and that this benefit is seasonally restricted. Since amphibian–bromeliad associations occur in diverse habitats in South and Central America, this mechanism for deriving nutrients may be important in bromeliad systems throughout the Neotropics.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank J. Purcell for comments on the manuscript and language corrections, and J. C. Souza for help with data collection in the field. C. A. Cambuí and R. P. Andreoli helped with the protein and gas exchange analyses, respectively, and G. Martinelli identified the bromeliad. G. Q. Romero was supported by research grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP; 04/13658-5 and 05/51421-0). F. Nomura was supported by research grants from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES; 3300415-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, IBILCE, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, 15054-000, SP, Brazil

    Gustavo Q. Romero, Elenice de C. Conforto & Denise de C. Rossa-Feres

  2. Departamento de Ecologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), CP 131, Goiânia, 7401-970, GO, Brazil

    Fausto Nomura

  3. Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, Campinas, 13083-970, SP, Brazil

    Ana Z. Gonçalves

  4. Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rua Cristóvão Colombo 2265, São José do Rio Preto, 15054-000, SP, Brazil

    Natacha Y. N. Dias

  5. Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, 277, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil

    Helenice Mercier

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  1. Gustavo Q. Romero
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  2. Fausto Nomura
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  3. Ana Z. Gonçalves
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  4. Natacha Y. N. Dias
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  6. Elenice de C. Conforto
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  7. Denise de C. Rossa-Feres
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Correspondence to Gustavo Q. Romero.

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Communicated by Zoe Cardon.

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Q. Romero, G., Nomura, F., Gonçalves, A.Z. et al. Nitrogen fluxes from treefrogs to tank epiphytic bromeliads: an isotopic and physiological approach. Oecologia 162, 941–949 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-009-1533-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-009-1533-4

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