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The concept of Ecosystem Services (ES) recognizes the importance of natural ecosystems in supporting human well-being. Hymenoptera, a diverse group of insects including ants, bees, and wasps, play crucial roles in providing ESs. Despite their significance, the provision of ESs by Hymenoptera is often undervalued, leading to ecosystem degradation and loss of important services. This study focuses on the association between Hymenoptera and a rupicolous bromeliad species (Encholirium spectabile) and explores the ESs promoted directly and indirectly by these insects. The study area is located in the Caatinga region of Brazil, characterized by irregular rainfall and a dry season. The results show that Hymenoptera, particularly bees, ants, and wasps, provide a range of ESs including pollination, honey production, pest control, cultural symbolism, and educational value. These services are vital for plant reproduction, food production, and ecosystem functioning in both seasons; there are no differences in species richness between seasons, but rather in species composition. Understanding the importance of Hymenoptera for ESs is crucial for informing conservation and management practices to ensure the sustainability of natural ecosystems. The study highlights the need for conservation actions to protect the intricate ecological relationships between Hymenoptera and bromeliads, which indirectly support ESs by providing habitat and resources, especially during droughts when resources are scarce in the region. By recognizing the importance of bromeliads in supporting Hymenopteran communities, conservation efforts can focus on preserving these critical ecological interactions and maintaining ES provision., (© 2024. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Bromeliads play a vital role in preserving biodiversity in the Neotropical region. To understand their impact on arthropod diversity in Brazil's semi-arid region, we studied the rupicolous bromeliad Encholirium spectabile. From 2011 to 2018, we observed the arthropod fauna in E. spectabile clumps, documenting the associated taxa, their abundance, and interactions. We also investigated how seasonality affects arthropod richness and composition during the dry and rainy seasons. Over the observation period, 15 orders and 57 arthropod families were recorded in association with E. spectabile. Insecta dominated, followed by predatory chelicerates. Eight usage categories were identified, with Shelter being the most prevalent, followed by Predators, Nesters, and Nectarivores. Significant differences in taxonomic richness were noted between rainy and dry seasons, with the rainy season exhibiting higher diversity. Seasonal variation was also observed in species composition. Clumps of E. spectabile emerged as crucial habitats for surrounding arthropod fauna. This research underscores the importance of non-phylotelm bromeliads, particularly in high abiotic stress environments like semi-arid regions. The taxonomic diversity observed aligns with findings from diverse environments, shedding light on the relevance of E. spectabile for associated arthropod fauna. These results prompt further exploration of non-phylotelm bromeliads in semi-arid settings, providing a fresh perspective on their significance in shaping arthropod communities., (© 2024. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Stress memory is the development of altered responses to stress due to previous exposure, which might result in increased tolerance. Biochemical and physiological parameters shown to be positively affected by stress memory include those of the antioxidant and nitrosative metabolism, photosynthetic pigments and osmolyte content. Epiphytic bromeliads likely present stress memory since they experience frequent droughts in the canopies. Thus, we aimed to evaluate if the epiphytic bromeliad Acanthostachys strobilacea (Schult. & Schult.f.) Klotzsch shows improved metabolic stress defence responses to a second drought and rewatering cycle compared to a single exposure. In a controlled environment chamber, 90-day-old plants were exposed to one or two drought-rewatering cycles of 14 days without irrigation and 5 days of rewatering each. Sampling occurred after the final drought and rewatering periods for one or two cycles treatments. The free amino acid, chlorophyll, and carotenoid levels and S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activity were higher at the second drought than at the first exposure. The rise in nocturnal acidification (indicative of increased CAM activity) caused by the initial drought persisted through the second drought-rewatering cycle, implying a lasting memory effect on CAM activity. Furthermore, the second recovery did not induce glutathione accumulation, as in the first rewatering event, suggesting the pre-exposure to drought reduced this thiol's demand during a later recovery. Our results evidence metabolic changes related to drought stress memory in A. strobilacea, supporting this mechanism might be involved in the tolerance of epiphytic bromeliads to intermittent droughts., (© 2024 German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

Understanding the distribution and demographic structure of populations is essential for species conservation. In Brazil, the rheophyte group has been greatly affected by the construction of hydroelectric dams. All know populations of Dyckia brevifolia Baker along Itajaí-Açu River were studied. The plants were classified as seedlings, immature or reproductive rosettes. In addition, the number of dead rosettes, except for seedlings, was determined in five populations of D. brevifolia. The total number of rosettes per population ranged from 273 to 7,185, totaling 30,443 rosettes, and 1,789 seedlings (5.9%). Only 2.4% of rosettes occurred isolated and 97.6% occurred clumped into 2,254 clumps. The number of rosettes per clump ranged from two to 339 rosettes. The percentage of reproductive rosettes per population ranged from 7.8 to 26.7%. The correlation between the number of clumps or between the total number of rosettes and the area of occupation was significant and positive (r = 0.82; P < 0.05). The production of offshoots (1-4) occurred on immature and reproductive rosettes. Dyckia brevifolia has herbivory by Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris (capybara). These rosettes die or often resprout, emitting from 1 to 20 shoots. The populations did not present a pattern of distribution of rosettes in the diametric classes, but in all populations a decrease in the number of rosettes can be observed in the classes with the largest diameter. The small area of occupation (9,185 m2) showed high environmental specificity and vulnerable to habitat loss and environmental changes. Therefore, the maintenance these sites is essential for the long-term conservation of D. brevifolia.

The main difficulty for the cultivation and conservation of bromeliad species is the reduced number of propagules and slow growth of many of the species, resulting in a low propagation efficiency. Bromeliad plants are hardy and relatively easy to cultivate, with a high ornamental and ecological importance. Aiming at efficient micropropagation rates of V. hieroglyphica, a highly valued bromeliad, with very low propagation efficiency, a temporary immersion system was used and compared to semisolid and liquid static medium. Cultures obtained from in vitro germinated seeds were used as explants, maintaining their genetic diversity. Micropropagation with this simple temporary immersion system, composed of two autoclavable flasks, each with one opening for the attachment of 22 μm syringe filters, connected by a rubber stopper and an inner glass tube. In the bottom flask, an air valve is attached to the filter, which is subsequently connected to an aquarium pump and a timer and plugged to an outlet. This simple temporary immersion system showed improved micropropagation efficiency and is a method that can also be evaluated for other species., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The phytotelmata is a water-filled tank on a terrestrial plant, and it plays an important role in bromeliad growth and ecosystem functioning. Even though previous studies have contributed to elucidate the composition of the prokaryotic component of this aquatic ecosystem, its mycobiota (fungal community) is still poorly known. In the present work, ITS2 amplicon deep sequencing was used to examine the fungal communities inhabiting the phytotelmata of two bromeliads species that coexist in a sun-exposed rupestrian field of Southeastern Brazil, namely Aechmea nudicaulis (AN) and Vriesea minarum (VM). Ascomycota was the most abundant phylum in both bromeliads (57.1 and 89.1% in AN and VM respectively, on average), while the others were present in low abundance (< 2%). Mortierellomycota and Glomeromycota were exclusively observed in AN. Beta-diversity analysis showed that samples from each bromeliad significantly clustered together. In conclusion, despite the considerable within-group variation, the results suggested that each bromeliad harbor a distinct fungi community, what could be associated with the physicochemical characteristics of the phytotelmata (mainly total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total carbon) and plant morphological features., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Studies on the germination and establishment of plants are key pieces to understanding the reproductive success of plants. This work aimed to describe in vitro germination and reserve mobilization in the bromeliad Vriesea friburgensis through morphological, histochemical, and biochemical analysis. The conditions used in this study for the in vitro germination are adequate. From the third day of in vitro inoculation, a uniform germination of 98% was obtained, exhibiting a high physiological quality of the seeds and a high potential to produce seedlings (94%). There is early reserve mobilization, which began in the imbibition phase. The accumulated reserves in the endosperm cytoplasm are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes provided by the aleurone layer. It is possible that compounds in the cell walls of the endosperm contribute to a lesser extent in mobilization. Additionally, it was observed that starch accumulation in the cotyledon increases when the seedling has formed. Results from this study provide insights for future studies on ecology, seed technology, and conservation in this species. This study contributes to the limited knowledge of the dynamics of reserves during germination and seedling establishment in Bromeliaceae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study with this approach in the genus Vriesea.

Urban ecosystems could jeopardize the existence of vascular epiphytes (VE) given that their occurrence is linked to phorophyte availability and particular climatic conditions. Despite reports of VE in cities, nothing is known about their demography. A first step in this direction is to describe their population structures (PS). We established the PS of VE present in urban parks in Oaxaca City (Mexico), addressing the following questions: 1) what is their demographic status? and 2) are there differences in the structure of populations growing in native versus exotic phorophytes? During 2021, we censused all the trees in six urban parks, recording their origin (native or exotic), the epiphytic species found on them and the development stages present in each VE population. Overall, five VE species were documented: Tillandsia ionantha, T. makoyana, T. sp., T. schiedeana and T. recurvata (Bromeliaceae); the first three with only one individual and the latter two with 95 and 5,694, respectively. A MANOVA test indicated significant differences in PS between T. recurvata (type I structure, suggesting a growing population) and T. schiedeana (type III structure, suggesting a senile population) (Wilkes' λ= 0.821, F-Radio= 11.96 P<0.001). PS showed no differences related to tree origin. Our results indicate that it is necessary to conduct demographic studies to have a more accurate idea of the current condition of vascular epiphytes in cities. For instance, even though we found five VS species, only one of them seems to have viable populations in Oaxaca city.

Premise: The consequences of acidity for plant performance are profound, yet the prevalence and causes of low pH in bromeliad tank water are unknown despite its functional relevance to key members of many neotropical plant communities., Methods: We investigated tank water pH for eight bromeliad species in the field and for the widely occurring Guzmania monostachia in varying light. We compared pH changes over time between plant and artificial tanks containing a solution combined from several plants. Aquaporin transcripts were measured for field plants at two levels of pH. We investigated relationships between pH, leaf hydraulic conductance, and CO 2 concentration in greenhouse plants and tested proton pump activity using a stimulator and inhibitor., Results: Mean tank water pH for the eight species was 4.7 ± 0.06 and was lower for G. monostachia in higher light. The pH of the solution in artificial tanks, unlike in plants, did not decrease over time. Aquaporin transcription was higher for plants with lower pH, but leaf hydraulic conductance did not differ, suggesting that the pH did not influence water uptake. Tank pH and CO 2 concentration were inversely related. Fusicoccin enhanced a decrease in tank pH, whereas orthovanadate did not., Conclusions: Guzmania monostachia acidified its tank water via leaf proton pumps, which appeared responsive to light. Low pH increased aquaporin transcripts but did not influence leaf hydraulic conductance, hence may be more relevant to nutrient uptake., (© 2022 The Authors. American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America.)

Due to the increasing evidence of widespread plastic pollution in the air, the impact on plants of airborne particles of polycarbonate (PC), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinylchloride (PVC) was tested by administering pristine and aged airborne micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) to Tillandsia usneoides for two weeks. Here we showed that exposure to pristine MNPs, significantly reduced plant growth with respect to controls. Particularly, PVC almost halved plant development at the end of the treatment, while the other plastics exerted negative effects on growth only at the beginning of the exposure, with final stages comparable to those of controls. Plants exposed to aged MNPs showed significantly decreased growth at early stages with PC, later in the growth with PE, and even later with PET. Aged PVC did not exert a toxic effect on plants. When present, the plastic-mediated reduction in plant growth was coupled with a decrease in photosynthetic activity and alterations in the plant concentration of macro- and micronutrients. The plastic particles were showed to adhere to the plant surface and, preferentially, on the trichome wings. Our results reported, for the first time, evidence of negative effects of airborne plastic pollution on plant health, thus raising concerns for related environmental risks., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Temporary waters are common environments found in physical and biological substrates. Among them, some bromeliads species are known to hold water in their tanks, in a habitat called phytotelmata. Phytotelmata serve as habitats for several organisms, from bacteria and protists to arthropods and anurans. Peritrich ciliates are often found as epibionts on aquatic invertebrates in these environments. Here, we report two cases of epibiosis involving Lagenophrys sp. attached to ostracods (Elpidium spp.) and Rhabdostyla sp. colonizing hydrachnid mites in the tanks of two bromeliad species. In our analysis, we measured the frequency of epibiosis considering the presence of both basibiont and epibiont in the samples. The results shown a significant difference between Elpidium sp. and Lagenophrys sp. compared to hydrachnid mites and Rhabdostyla sp. (87.5% and 19%, respectively), supported by the Kruskal-Walis test (p = 0.0003, Chi-square = 9.687). These reports are important since the knowledge of phytotelmata communities from tropical and subtropical areas is incipient, although it has been increasing over the last years. It also shows that epibiosis doesn't always represent a beneficial relationship. These two epibiosis systems found in bromeliad tanks raise questions about organism's dispersal throughout other phytotelmata and other temporary water habitats.

Tillandsia L. is the largest genus of the family Bromeliaceae, containing 755 species and seven subgenera. Morphoanatomical studies of leaves provide useful characteristics to phylogenetic, taxonomic, and ecological analyses. This study aims to characterize and compare the leaves of 24 species of the four subgenera of Tillandsia that occur in Bahia and also perform adaptative inferences to environmental responses. The results of the species' morphoanatomical studies were compared through dissimilarity analysis. The species have rosulate leaves with varying lengths and widths. The peltate trichomes present variation in the indument density and the length of their wing and central disk. The stomata are longitudinally distributed in one or both sides of the limb. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and presents aquiferous and chlorophyllic parenchymas. The vascular bundles are collateral and partially covered by fibers, except for Tillandsia linearis. Based on the dissimilarity analysis, it was possible to identify the formation of five groups. Group G1 was composed of T. linearis, which diverged from the other species of the subgenus. Group G2 was formed by the remaining species of the subgenus Phytarrhiza. G3 and G4 presented the species of the subgenus Diaphoranthema and Tillandsia, respectively. Group G5 gathered 11 species of the subgenus Anoplophytum and presented higher variability than the other subgenera. Based on the results, the morphoanatomical characteristics can be used to characterize and group Tillandsia species, besides confirming the morphological variability of these species to the epiphyte habit in different environments, especially xeric ones., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Hohenbergia lanata Pereira & Moutinho is an endemic bromeliad of the State of Bahia (Brazil), occurring in an altitudinal transition forest between Caatinga dry woodland and Atlantic Forest. The type material was collected by Roberto Burle-Marx, who introduced it into cultivation in his gardens, but lacking the accurate provenance, only mentioning that it was collected between Milagres and Amargosa municipalities. It was later described by Pereira & Moutinho based on a cultivated specimen. In this work, we present new specimens found in natural populations in an area that coincides with the type locality description, enabling us to expand the description of the species, as well as to provide images of the living plants in the field, adding information about its habitat. The herbarium collections revision and the new population found in the field enabled us to propose an updated conservation status and to better characterize the habit, plant architecture, and to add new morphological comparisons and geographical distribution.

Neoglaziovia variegata (Arruda) Mez (Bromeliaceae) is a medicinal plant popularly known as "caroá." The leaves are made up of highly resistant fibers, which is of great commercial value to the handicraft and textile industry. Some studies have demonstrated that ethanolic extract of N. variegata have gastroprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective activity and cytoprotective mechanisms of ethyl acetate (Nv-AcOEt), hexane (Nv-Hex), and chloroform (Nv-CHCl 3 ) fractions of N. variegata leaves. The gastroprotective activity of Nv-AcOEt, Nv-Hex, and Nv-CHCl 3 was evaluated using the ethanol and ethanol/HCl-induced gastric injury model. To elucidate the gastroprotective mechanisms, the functions of prostaglandins (PGs), nitric oxide (NO), and K ATP channels were evaluated. In addition, the nonprotein sulfhydryl groups and the mucus content in the gastric tissues were analyzed. All fractions of N. variegata leaves at oral doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg significantly decreased ethanol and ethanol/HCl-induced gastric lesions, leading to gastroprotection, accompanied by an increase in reduced glutathione (GSH) and gastric mucus. Gastroprotective activity of Nv-AcOEt was inhibited after pretreatment with ibuprofen and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG). Gastroprotective effect of Nv-Hex and Nv-CHCl 3 was also inhibited after pretreatment with L-NOARG and with glibenclamide. The results indicate that N. variegata (Arruda) Mez exhibits promising gastroprotective activity with the possible participation of NO, PGs, mucus, sulfhydryl groups, and K ATP .

Yeasts can play important roles in promoting plant growth; however, little information is available in this regard for yeasts in water of bromeliad tanks. Here, we characterize the ability of 79 yeast isolates from tank bromeliad Vriesea minarum, an endangered species, to solubilize phosphate, secrete siderophores, and synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The results showed that 67.8% of all assayed yeast isolates mobilized inorganic phosphate; 40.0% secreted siderophores; and 89.9% synthetized IAA and IAA-like compounds. Among the species studied, Carlosrosaea vrieseae UFMG-CM-Y6724 is highlighted for producing IAA (76.1 μg mL -1 ) and siderophores, and solubilizing phosphate. In addition, evaluation of the effects of filtrate containing IAA-like compounds produced by the C. vrieseae on the development and photosynthetic performance of V. minarum seedlings found it to improve seedling growth equal to that of commercial IAA. These results demonstrate that C. vrieseae can produce compounds with great potential for future use as biofertilizer agents., (© 2021. Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

The frequent use of acaricides against the tick Rhipicephalus microplus increases the risk of development of resistance. Recent studies have revealed that Neoglaziovia variegata, an indigenous plant species known in Brazil as 'caroá', has a deleterious effect against R. microplus. In the current study, extracts of N. variegata were studied for their possible acaricidal properties. A hexane extract of N. variegata leaves was fractionated in a chromatography column and the fractions were tested in adult tick immersion tests in triplicate using three concentrations (5, 10 and 25 mg/ml). All the fractions had harmful effects on the ticks. However, three fractions were more efficaceous. Phytochemical analysis indicated that stigmast-5-en-3-ol and stigmastanol were most abundant; they might be responsible for the acaricidal effects, making them potentially useful as alternative agents to control the tick R. microplus.

Tillandsia is the bromeliad genus containing the largest number of species, with wide geographic dispersion and an important ecological role in the ecosystems. Investigations of pollen morphology are important to support taxonomic and conservation studies as well as to choose promising species for cross-pollination to obtain hybrids. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphology, production, and viability of pollen grains of 24 Tillandsia species that naturally occur in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Pollen grains were acetolized and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The pollen were germinated in vitro in two culture media (BM and BKM) and collected at three floral development stages (pre-anthesis, anthesis and post-anthesis). Pollen viability also was analyzed by staining with Alexander's solution and acetocarmine in three floral development stages. Variations in the ornamentation and size of the pollen were observed among the species studied, with the majority having medium size, while T. polystachia and T. juncea had large grains and the subgenera Diaphoranthema and Phytarrhiza had small grains. The pollen of the majority of species had bilateral symmetry, with a single irregularly shaped colpus, semitectate exine and reticulated-heterobrochate surface. The pollen presented high germination percentage, tube length and viability according to the histochemistry, except for T. recurvata, T. usneoides and T. loliacea. The BKM medium and collection of pollen during anthesis produced the best results for the Tillandsia species. The results can support studies of the taxonomy and conservation of these species, which have great environmental importance and high value for ornamental purposes., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

To understand the unique green-blue color of Puya alpestris (Bromeliaceae) flowers, we investigated their constituent anthocyanin and related compounds. An anthocyanin, two undescribed flavonols, and two flavones were isolated and identified as delphinidin 3,3',5'-tri-O-β-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-glucopyranoside]-3',5'-di-O-β-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3,3',5'-tri-O-β-glucopyranoside, luteolin 4'-O-glucoside, and apigenin 4'-O-glucoside. Furthermore, the presence of chlorophyll has also been revealed. P. alpestris petals show a gradient color appearance: Green-blue at the tip and blue at the base. This color difference between the tip and base was used to analyze the pigment components underlying the green-blue color expression. It was found that the petal tip contains the anthocyanin, flavonols, flavones, and chlorophyll in high quantities. Furthermore, the pH of petal juice was 6.2 and 5.6 at the tip and base, respectively. In vitro reconstruction revealed the blue color expression occurred via an intermolecular copigmentation between the anthocyanin and flavones, as well as yellow color expression, which was due to an increase in the absorption at 400-450 nm of the flavonols under the higher pH conditions. Furthermore, we found that the petal extract obtaining using 50% acetone containing chlorophyll showed the same absorption spectrum as that observed for the raw petal. These results indicate that the green-blue color of P. alpestris flowers is developed via an intermolecular co-pigmentation of the anthocyanin (delphinidin 3,3',5'-tri-O-β-glucopyranoside) with flavones, such as luteolin 4'-O-glucoside, the yellow color expression of flavonols, such as myricetin 3,3',5'-tri-O-glucoside under relatively high pH conditions in the cell sap, and the presence of chlorophyll., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Species from almost all classes of ciliates are prone to be found inhabiting bromeliads in the Neotropics, from Mexico to Brazil, and the Antilles. Studies of ciliates recorded from bromeliads have been carried out from few bromeliad species, mainly in tropical forest. We compiled all available data of free living and sessile ciliates from bromeliads, including their geographic distribution and bromeliad identity. We provide a list of 170 ciliate species that have been recorded in 52 epiphytic and terrestrial bromeliad species, distributed in ten Neotropical countries . Most of the species belong to the Classes Oligohymenophorea, Colpodea and Spirotrichea. The largest number of ciliate species has been recorded in Brazil and Mexico. Bromeliothrix metopoides and Glaucomides bromelicola were the two species with the widest geographical distribution, 19 species have been recorded only in Mexico, 11 in the Antillean islands, and 89 only in Southamerica. Free living species prevailed over sessile species, and both represent 2% of the total ciliate species number. Sixteen ciliate species have been recorded only inhabiting in bromeliads. Although bromeliads show a high endemicity, their specificity is low in relation to ciliates.

The adaptive radiation of Bromeliaceae (pineapple family) is one of the most diverse among Neotropical flowering plants. Diversification in this group was facilitated by shifts in several adaptive traits or "key innovations" including the transition from C 3 to CAM photosynthesis associated with xeric (heat/drought) adaptation. We used phylogenomic approaches, complemented by differential gene expression (RNA-seq) and targeted metabolite profiling, to address the mechanisms of C 3 /CAM evolution in the extremely species-rich bromeliad genus, Tillandsia, and related taxa. Evolutionary analyses of whole-genome sequencing and RNA-seq data suggest that evolution of CAM is associated with coincident changes to different pathways mediating xeric adaptation in this group. At the molecular level, C 3 /CAM shifts were accompanied by gene expansion of XAP5 CIRCADIAN TIMEKEEPER homologs, a regulator involved in sugar- and light-dependent regulation of growth and development. Our analyses also support the re-programming of abscisic acid-related gene expression via differential expression of ABF2/ABF3 transcription factor homologs, and adaptive sequence evolution of an ENO2/LOS2 enolase homolog, effectively tying carbohydrate flux to abscisic acid-mediated abiotic stress response. By pinpointing different regulators of overlapping molecular responses, our results suggest plausible mechanistic explanations for the repeated evolution of correlated adaptive traits seen in a textbook example of an adaptive radiation., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Research into the influence of stress factors, such as drought, different temperatures and/or varied light conditions, on plants due to climate changes is becoming increasingly important. Epiphytes, like many species of the Bromeliaceae, are particularly affected by this, but little is known about impacts on nectar composition and nectary metabolism. We investigated the influence of drought, different temperatures and light-dark regimes on nectar and nectaries of the epiphytic bromeliad species, Aechmea fasciata, and also the influence of drought with the terrestrial bromeliad, Billbergia nutans. The content of sugars, amino acids and ions in nectar and nectaries was analysed using HPLC. In addition, the starch content and the activities of different invertases in nectaries were determined. Compositions of nectar and nectaries were hardly influenced, neither by light nor dark, nor by different temperatures. In contrast, drought revealed changes in nectar volumes and nectar sugar compositions in the epiphytic bromeliad as well as in the terrestrial bromeliad. In both species, the sucrose-to-hexose ratio in nectar decreased considerably during the drought period. These changes in nectar sugar composition do not correlate with changes in the nectaries. The total sugar, amino acid and ion concentrations remained constant in nectar as well as in nectaries during the drought period. Changes in nectar composition or in the production of floral pollinator rewards are likely to affect plant-pollinator interactions. It remains questionable how far the adaptations of the bromeliads to drought and diverse light or temperature conditions are still sufficient., (© 2020 The Authors. Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

Many plants may accumulate rainwater, forming phytotelmata, aquatic microhabitats inhabited by various organisms. The aim of this study was to conduct an inventory of heterotrophic flagellates associated with phytotelmata of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha Lem., found in rocky cliffs on the Upper Paraná River. The bromeliads were removed manually from the rocky wall, the water was removed and cultures of organisms of each plant were mounted in Petri dishes. Sixteen species of heterotrophic flagellate were recorded, drawn and described, among them one species belonging to the Amorpha Domain and 15 species to the Diaphoretiches Domain. The groups with most species were Euglenida and Kinetoplastea. The low diversity of heterotrophic flagellates recorded in this study, compared to the plankton of lakes and reservoirs, is probably related to the fact that phytotelmata are habitats with extreme environmental conditions, thus selecting organisms tolerant to these environments.

To investigate patterns of biotic community composition at different spatial scales and biological contexts, we used environmental DNA metabarcoding to characterize eukaryotic and prokaryotic assemblages present in the phytotelmata of three bromeliad species (Aechmea gamosepala, Vriesea friburgensis, and Vriesea platynema) at a single Atlantic Forest site in southern Brazil. We sampled multiple individuals per species and multiple tanks from each individual, totalizing 30 samples. We observed very high levels of diversity in these communities, and remarkable variation across individuals and even among tanks from the same individual. The alpha diversity was higher for prokaryotes than eukaryotes, especially for A. gamosepala and V. platynema samples. Some biotic components appeared to be species-specific, while most of the biota was shared among species, but varied substantially in frequency among samples. Interestingly, V. friburgensis communities (which were sampled at nearby locations) tended to be more heterogeneous across samples, for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The opposite was true for V. platynema, whose samples were more broadly spaced but whose communities were more similar to each other. Our results indicate that additional attention should be devoted to within-individual heterogeneity when assessing bromeliad phytotelmata biodiversity, and highlight the complexity of the biotic assemblages gathered in these unique habitats., (© 2020 International Society of Protistologists.)

Ephemeral microbial communities usually undergo priority effect and result in higher diversity with a few representatives of each species. Community structure of yeasts in bromeliad tanks was compared between two rupestrian savanna (Cerrado) areas in Brazil and to yeasts isolated from water holes in the same areas. Water samples were collected from 60 tanks of bromeliads Bromelia karatas and Encholirium sp. and rock holes at the Karstic Area of Aurora, Tocantins State and 60 tanks of Vriesea minarum (Bromeliaceae) and Paepalanthus bromelioides (Eriocaulaceae) at Serra do Cipó National Park, Minas Gerais State in Brazil. The yeast diversity comprised 90 species from which 60% are basidiomycetous yeasts usually associated with phylloplane, soils, and aquatic habitats. The species Papiliotrema laurentii, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Pa. nemorosus, and Pseudozyma hubeiensis were the most frequent species associated with bromeliads. Eighteen yeast species, two ascomycetous and 16 basidiomycetous, were consistently isolated from the substrates in both areas and may represent a core community in bromeliads in rupestrian fields. Singlets occurred in 38 to 69% of samples, and 32 species were isolated only once. Our findings reinforce the ephemeral nature of the yeast communities associated with tank-forming plants in which individual phytotelmata act as patches or aquatic islands prone to rapid colonization-extinction rates receiving inocula from plant and soil debris. Ephemeral rock holes also represent a transitory habitat for yeast species associated with plants and soil.

Portanus adenomari sp. nov. from the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, and Maranhão is described and illustrated. It can be easily distinguished by the aedeagus with a pair of apical, slender curved processes, crossing each other medially. The previously unknown females of Portanus restingalis Felix Mejdalani, 2016 and Metacephalus facetus (Kramer, 1961), as well as the female terminalia of Metacephalus sakakibarai Souza, Takiya Felix, 2017, are also described in detail. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the ovipositor valvulae of P. restingalis are given. Comparative notes on the morphology of the female terminalia in the tribe Portanini are provided. Specimens of P. restingalis were observed feeding and resting on Bromeliaceae leaves; this is the first record of host plants for the Portanini. Metacephalus marica (Felix Mejdalani, 2016) is regarded as a junior synonym of Metacephalus longicornis (Osborn, 1923).

Background and Aims: It is commonly accepted that the leaf of a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant is thick, with large mesophyll cells and vacuoles that can accommodate the malic acid produced during the night. The link between mesophyll characteristics and CAM mode, whether obligate or C3/CAM, was evaluated., Methods: Published values of the carbon isotopic ratio (δ 13C) as an indicator of CAM, leaf thickness, leaf micrographs and other evidence of CAM operation were used to correlate cell density, cell area, the proportion of intercellular space in the mesophyll (IAS) and the length of cell wall facing the intercellular air spaces (Lmes/A) with CAM mode., Key Results: Based on 81 species and relatively unrelated families (15) belonging to nine orders, neither leaf thickness nor mesophyll traits helped explain the degree of CAM expression. A strong correlation was found between leaf thickness and δ 13C in some species of Crassulaceae and between leaf thickness and nocturnal acid accumulation in a few obligate CAM species of Bromeliaceae but, when all 81 species were pooled together, no significant changes with δ 13C were observed in cell density, cell area, IAS or Lmes/A., Conclusions: An influence of phylogeny on leaf anatomy was evidenced in a few cases but this precluded generalization for widely separate taxa containing CAM species. The possible relationships between leaf anatomy and CAM mode should be interpreted cautiously., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Bromeliaceae is restricted to the Neotropical region and has a high degree of endemism, which contributes to increased biodiversity because of the diverse morphological characteristics of individuals. In order to develop an in vitro conservation technology to obtain plants for reintroduction, seeds of Vriesea flammea L.B.Sm. were collected, sterilized and germinated in culture medium. The plants obtained were cultured for 180 days in MS medium with different concentrations of mineral nutrients (25 and 50% of nitrogenous salts and macronutrients), and different concentrations of sucrose (20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 g L-1), and then acclimatized for 150 days on commercial substrate. When seeds were sterilized directly, only 4% of them were contaminated, whereas sterilization of capsules resulted in 43.6% contaminated seeds. Germination rates above 80% were recorded. Low concentrations of nitrogenous salts and macronutrients produced greater than 76% survival and promoted greater in vitro plant development than the complete MS medium. The development of the aerial system, root system, fresh mass and photosynthetic pigments were positively related to sucrose concentration in vitro. The highest sucrose concentration also indirectly promoted greater development of the aerial system and fresh mass of acclimatized plants. We established conditions for in vitro cultivation and acclimatization for efficient propagation of V. flammea with a view towards conservation of the species or reestablishment of natural populations.

Individual species can have profound effects on ecological communities, but, in hyperdiverse systems, it can be challenging to determine the underlying ecological mechanisms. Simplifying species' responses by trophic level or functional group may be useful, but characterizing the trait structure of communities may be better related to niche processes. A largely overlooked trait in such community-level analyses is behaviour. In the Neotropics, epiphytic tank bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) harbour a distinct fauna of terrestrial invertebrates that is mainly composed of predators, such as ants and spiders. As these bromeliad-associated predators tend to forage on the bromeliads' support tree, they may influence the arboreal invertebrate fauna. We examined how, by increasing associated predator habitat, bromeliads may affect arboreal invertebrates. Specifically, we observed the trophic and functional group composition, and the behaviour and interspecific interactions of arboreal invertebrates in trees with and without bromeliads. Bromeliads modified the functional composition of arboreal invertebrates, but not the overall abundance of predators and herbivores. Bromeliads did not alter the overall behavioural profile of arboreal invertebrates, but did lead to more positive interactions in the day than at night, with a reverse pattern on trees without bromeliads. In particular, tending behaviours were influenced by bromeliad-associated predators. These results indicate that detailed examination of the functional affiliations and behaviour of organisms can reveal complex effects of habitat-forming species like bromeliads, even when total densities of trophic groups are insensitive.

Premise: Because of its broad range in the neotropical rainforest and within tree canopies, the tank bromeliad Guzmania monostachia was investigated as a model of how varying leaf hydraulic conductance (K leaf ) could help plants resist and recover from episodic drought. The two pathways of K leaf , inside and outside the xylem, were also examined to determine the sites and causes of major hydraulic resistances within the leaf., Methods: We measured leaf hydraulic conductance for plants in the field and laboratory under wet, dry, and rewetted conditions and applied physiological, anatomical, and gene expression analysis with modeling to investigate changes in K leaf ., Results: After 7 d with no rain in the field or 14 days with no water in the glasshouse, K leaf decreased by 50% yet increased to hydrated values within 4 d of tank refilling. Staining to detect embolism combined with modeling indicated that changes outside the xylem were of greater importance to K leaf than were changes inside the xylem and were associated with changes in intercellular air spaces (aerenchyma), aquaporin expression and inhibition, and cuticular conductance., Conclusions: Low values for all conductances during drying, particularly in pathways outside the xylem, lead to hydraulic resilience for this species and may also contribute to its broad environmental tolerances., (© 2019 The Authors. American Journal of Botany is published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the Botanical Society of America.)

Premise: Despite the efforts to understand the processes that shape neotropical biodiversity, the complexity of certain biomes, such as the Atlantic Forest (AF), prevents the generalization of patterns. Initially, ecological niche modeling (ENM), with phylogeographic studies, identified past stable areas in the central and northern portions of the AF, while the southern portion was thought to be highly fragmented. Here, we examined the phylogeography, historical patterns, genetic diversity, and population structure of Vriesea incurvata, an endemic species of the southern portion of the AF., Methods: We evaluated 149 individuals using two plastid DNA regions (cpDNA) and 13 nuclear microsatellite markers (nuSSRs) to access the historical patterns, genetic diversity, and structure of V. incurvata populations. We also conducted historical demography and ENM analyses., Results: We found moderate to high genetic diversity and low population structure for both genomes. The cpDNA network revealed high haplotype sharing. The ENM suggested no drastic changes in suitable areas for V. incurvata occurrence, corroborating the finding of no phylogeographic structure., Conclusions: Contrary to some studies, our results indicate that the southern AF was a historically stable climate region for V. incurvata occupation after southward colonization by the species. Past climatic changes probably did not cause structuring among its populations., (© 2019 Botanical Society of America.)

Vriesea carinata is an endemic bromeliad from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It has trichome and tank system in their leaves which allows to absorb water and nutrients. It belongs to Bromeliaceae family, which includes several species highly enriched of cysteine-proteases (CysPs). These proteolytic enzymes regulate processes as senescence, cell differentiation, pathogen-linked programmed cell death and mobilization of proteins. Although, their biological importance, there are not genomic resources in V. carinata that can help to identify and understand their molecular mechanisms involved in different biological processes. Thus high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of V. carinata is necessary to generate sequences for the purpose of gene discovery and functional genomic studies. In the present study, we sequenced and assembled the V. carinata transcriptome to the identification of CysPs. A total of 43,232 contigs were assembled for the leaf tissue. BLAST analysis indicated that 23,803 contigs exhibited similarity to non-redundant Viridiplantae proteins. 28.24% of the contigs were classified into the COG database, and gene ontology categorized them into 61 functional groups. A metabolic pathway analysis with KEGG revealed 9679 contigs assigned to 31 metabolic pathways. Among 16 full-length CysPs identified, 11 were evaluated in respect to their expression patterns in the leaf apex, base and inflorescence tissues. The results showed differential expression levels of legumain, metacaspase, pyroglutamyl and papain-like CysPs depending of the leaf region. These results provide a global overview of V. carinata gene functions and expression activities of CysPs in those tissues., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) are an extremely diverse family of the angiosperms widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and West Africa. They often serve as phytotelmata, accumulating rainwater between leaves. Such water reservoirs can be inhabited by diverse organisms. But to date not much attention is paid to inventory of these organisms, with careful identification of each taxon. We found a microcrustacean Disparalona hamata (Birge, 1879) (Crustacea: Cladocera) in the bromeliad Tillandsia aguascalentensis Gardner, 1984 in Mexico. Investigated population included parthenogenetic females, gamogenetic females and males. Hereby the population apparently can pass the full life cycle under conditions of phytotelmata. Along with ecological observations, we provide additional taxonomic notes on the genus Disparalona Fryer, 1968 itself. Recently a series of morphological revisions was conducted for this genus. It was subdivided into two subgenera: Disparalona s.str. and Mixopleuroxus Hudec, 2010. But, in fact, the second taxon is a junior synonym of Leptorhynchus Daday, 1905. In this regard here we provide an updated list of taxonomic synonyms for the subgenus Leptorhynchus.

The primary structure of macrodontain I, a peptidase from Pseudananas macrodontes fruits, was determined using Edman's degradation. The enzyme is a non-glycosylated peptidase composed by 213 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 23,486.18 Da, pI value 6.99, and a molar extinction coefficient at 280 nm of 61,685 M -1  cm -1 . The alignment of the sequence of macrodontain I with those cysteine peptidases from species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae showed the highest identity degree (87.74%) against fruit bromelain. A remarkable fact is that all these peptidase sequences show two Met contiguous residues (Met121 and 122) and the nonapeptide VPQSIDWRD located in the mature N-terminal region. Residues Cys26 and His159, which constitute the catalytic dyad in all cysteine peptidases, as well as active site residues Gln20 and Asn176, characteristic of Clan C1A, are conserved in macrodontain I. The 3-D model suggests that the enzyme belongs to the α + β class of proteins, with two disulfide bridges (Cys23-Cys63 and Cys57-Cys96) in the α domain, while the β domain is stabilized by another disulfide bridge (Cys153-Cys201). Further, we were able to establish that the cysteine peptidases from P. macrodontes are involved in the anti-inflammatory activity.

The mechanisms which structure communities have been the focus of a large body of research. Here, we address the question if habitat characteristics describing habitat quality may drive changes in community composition and beta diversity of bromeliad-inhabiting microfauna. In our system, changes in canopy cover along an environmental gradient may affect resource availability, disturbance in form of daily water temperature fluctuations and predation, and thus may lead to changes in community structure of bromeliad microfauna through differences in habitat quality along this gradient. Indeed, we observed distinct changes in microfauna community composition along the environmental gradient explained by changes in the extent of daily water temperature fluctuations. We found beta diversity to be higher under low habitat quality (low canopy cover) than under high habitat quality (high canopy cover), which could potentially be explained by a higher relative importance of stochastic processes under low habitat quality. We also partitioned beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components and we found a nested pattern of beta diversity along the environmental gradient, with communities from the lower-quality habitat being nested subsets of communities from the higher-quality habitat. However, this pattern resulted from an increase in microfauna alpha diversity with an increase in habitat quality. By providing insights into microfauna-environment relationships our results contribute to the mechanistic understanding of community dynamics in small freshwater bodies. Here, we highlight the importance of habitat characteristics representing habitat quality in structuring communities, and suggest that this information may help to improve conservation practices of small freshwater ecosystems.

Epiphytic bromeliads represent a major component of Neotropical forests, but the potential effect of climate change on these plants is unclear. We investigated whether and how bromeliads are affected by the predicted 3°C temperature rise by the end of the century. We conducted growth experiments with 17 epiphytic bromeliad species at different temperatures to determine their fundamental thermal niches. By comparing those with niches for germination, we tested whether ontogenetic niche shift or niche contraction occurs in Bromeliaceae. Applying a classical growth analysis, we assessed the relative importance of the underlying growth components on interspecific variations in growth. Members of two bromeliad subfamilies differed in their response to elevated temperatures: Tillandsioideae may be negatively affected, whereas Bromelioideae moved closer to their thermal optimum. Across different ontogenetic stages, thermal niche characteristics revealed both niche shift and niche contraction. Interspecific variation in growth was driven almost exclusively by net assimilation rate at all temperatures. We conclude that the vulnerability of tropical plants to a future increase in temperature may be more variable than suggested by previous studies. We emphasize the importance of assessing niche breadth over multiple life stages and the need for better microclimatic data to link laboratory data with field conditions., (© 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.)

Cryopreservation of pollen grains is an efficient technique to overcome asynchronous flowering and to support actions for genetic improvement and conservation of important alleles. It can be used both by germplasm curators and plant breeders. In the case of Bromeliaceae, a family with wide diversity but also high vulnerability, the form of conservation can be crucial to prevent the increasing problem of genetic erosion. This chapter describes a method of cryopreservation of pollen grains of different Bromeliaceae species, including pineapple, after dehydration with silica and subsequent immersion in liquid nitrogen. The efficiency of this protocol has been demonstrated by the high pollen viability percentage and production of seeds after in vivo pollination with cryopreserved grains. The protocol can be used for cryopreserving pollen of many species of bromeliads and is easy to perform.

Rocky outcrops represent the diversity center of vascular desiccation tolerant (DT) plants. Vegetation in this environment is exposed to an extended dry season and extreme conditions due to rocky soils and high sun exposure. In this study, we demonstrated that Pitcairnia burchellii, a bromeliad from rocky outcrops, tolerates intense desiccation for about 90 days due to strategies as accumulation of compatible osmolytes and antioxidant substances together with leaf morphological changes. In dehydrated plants, an increase in antioxidant activity was observed and the vacuolization of parenchyma cells was accompanied by proline accumulation in leaves and rhizomes. Precursors related to phenylpropanoid pathway increased significantly during plant dehydration. Accordingly, increases in anthocyanin and phenolic contents as well as lignin deposition were observed in leaves of dehydrated plants. Cell divisions and a decrease in stored starch were observed in the rhizomes indicating starch mobilization. Anatomical analyses revealed the presence of a more developed water-storage tissue in dehydrated leaves. During desiccation, leaves curl upwards and the adaxial V deep water-storage tissue is supported by two larger lateral vascular bundles. Cell wall folding and an increased proportion of arabinose-containing polymers was observed in leaves under dehydration, suggesting increasing of cell wall flexibility during desiccation. Such biochemical and morphological changes are consistent with the ability of P. burchellii to tolerate intense desiccation and behave as a resurrection species., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The Neotropical Bromeliaceae display an extraordinary level of ecological variety, with species differing widely in habit, photosynthetic pathway and growth form. Divergences in stomatal structure and function, hitherto understudied in treatments of bromeliad evolutionary physiology, could have been critical to the generation of variety in ecophysiological strategies among the bromeliads. Because humidity is a key factor in bromeliad niches, we focussed on stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit (VPD). We measured the sensitivity of stomatal conductance and assimilation rate to VPD in eight C 3 bromeliad species of contrasting growth forms and ecophysiological strategies and parameterised the kinetics of stomatal responses to a step change in VPD. Notably, three tank-epiphyte species displayed low conductance, high sensitivity and fast kinetics relative to the lithophytes, while three xeromorphic terrestrial species showed high conductance and sensitivity but slow stomatal kinetics. An apparent feedforward response of transpiration to VPD occurred in the tank epiphytes, while water-use efficiency was differentially impacted by stomatal closure depending on photosynthetic responses. Differences in stomatal responses to VPD between species of different ecophysiological strategies are closely linked to modifications of stomatal morphology, which we argue has been a pivotal component of the evolution of high diversity in this important plant family., (© 2017 The Authors Plant, Cell & Environment Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Vein placement has been hypothesised to control leaf hydraulic properties, but the ecophysiological significance of variation in vein placement in the angiosperms has remained poorly understood. The highly diverse Neotropical Bromeliaceae offers an excellent system for exploring understudied relationships between leaf vein placement, physiological functions, and species ecology. To test key hypotheses regarding the links between vein placement, functional type divergences, and ecological diversity in the Bromeliaceae, I characterised the ratio of interveinal distance (IVD) to vein-epidermis distance (VED) in 376 species, representing all major functional types and 10% of the species diversity in the family, as well as bioclimatic properties and key leaf traits for subsets of species. There were significant differences in vein placement parameters in species of contrasting functional type, habitat association, and bioclimatic distribution. In many C 3 tank-epiphytes, a greater ratio between interveinal distance and the depth of veins within the mesophyll reflects optimisation for resource foraging in shady, humid habitats. In succulent terrestrials, overinvestment in veins probably facilitates rapid recharge of water storage tissue, as well as restricting water loss. These results highlight how divergences in vein placement relate to distinctive ecophysiological strategies between and within bromeliad functional types, and provide timely insights into how structural-functional innovation has impacted the evolution of ecological diversity in a major radiation of tropical herbaceous angiosperms.

Bromeliads are a diverse group of plants that includes many species whose individuals are capable of retaining water, forming habitats called phytotelmata. These habitats harbor a diversity of organisms including prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes, metazoans, and fungi. Among single-celled eukaryotic organisms, ciliates are generally the most abundant. In the present study, we used Illumina DNA sequencing to survey the eukaryotic communities, especially ciliates, inhabiting the tanks of the bromeliads Aechmea gamosepala and Vriesea platynema in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. Filtered sequences were clustered into distinct OTUs using a 99% identity threshold, and then assigned to phylum and genus using a BLAST-based approach (implemented in QIIME) and the SILVA reference database. Both bromeliad species harbored very diverse eukaryotic communities, with Arthropoda and Ciliophora showing the highest abundance (as estimated by the number of sequence reads). The ciliate genus Tetrahymena was the most abundant among single-celled organisms, followed by apicomplexan gregarines and the ciliate genus Glaucoma. Another interesting finding was the presence and high abundance of Trypanosoma in these bromeliad tanks, demonstrating their occurrence in this type of environment. The results presented here demonstrate a hidden diversity of eukaryotes in bromeliad tank waters, opening up new avenues for their in-depth characterization., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The distribution of polyploidy along a relatively steep Andean elevation and climatic gradient is studied using the genus Fosterella L.B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae) as a model system. Ecological differentiation of cytotypes and the link of polyploidy with historical biogeographic processes such as dispersal events and range shift are assessed., Methods: 4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining of nuclei and flow cytometry were used to estimate the ploidy levels of 159 plants from 22 species sampled throughout the distribution range of the genus. Ecological differentiation among ploidy levels was tested by comparing the sets of climatic variables. Ancestral chromosome number reconstruction was carried out on the basis of a previously generated phylogeographic framework., Key Results: This study represents the first assessment of intrageneric, intraspecific and partially intrapopulational cytotype diversity in a genus of the Bromeliaceae family. In Fosterella , the occurrence of polyploidy was limited to the phylogenetically isolated penduliflora and rusbyi groups. Cytotypes were found to be ecologically differentiated, showing that polyploids preferentially occupy colder habitats with high annual temperature variability (seasonality). The combined effects of biogeographic history and adaptive processes are presumed to have shaped the current cytotype distribution in the genus., Conclusions: The results provide indirect evidence for both adaptive ecological and non-adaptive historical processes that jointly influenced the cytotype distribution in the predominantly Andean genus Fosterella (Bromeliaceae). The results also exemplify the role of polyploidy as an important driver of speciation in a topographically highly structured and thus climatically diverse landscape., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com)

The Caatinga is a dry tropical forest, located in the Brazilian semiarid region and rich in phytotelmata. This study investigated the culicid fauna of phytotelmata of the caatinga by sampling for 19 consecutive months aquatic immatures from tree holes and bromeliads. A total of 127L of water was taken from the plants, containing 6764 immature culicids of 16 species, of which 11 (69%) are undescribed and respond to 90% of the total abundance of the specimens collected. Epiphytic bromeliads harbor a large number of immature Culicidae, although terrestrial bromeliads are the most abundant and widely distributed in the region. The richness of culicid species was similar between terrestrial and epiphytic bromeliads and lower in habitats represented by tree hole phytotelmata. There was no similarity in the composition of culicid species that developed in bromeliads or tree holes. Temperature and humidity were the environmental parameters most strongly associated with the proportion of positive plants. The Caatinga has a great number of endemic species that remain unknown to science and many additional culicid species may await discovery from there., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Premise of the Study: The yellow-flowered Aechmea subgenus Ortgiesia (yfAsO) (Bromeliaceae) is a group of seven morphologically similar bromeliads found mostly in the southern Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. The recent origin of this group probably contributes to its taxonomic complexity. The aims of this study were to investigate the levels of genetic diversity and structure at the population and species levels, to gain insight into the processes behind the diversification of the group, and to contribute to the establishment of species boundaries., Methods: We sequenced two noncoding regions of the chloroplast genome ( rpl32-trnL and rps16-trnK ) and the nuclear phyC gene in 204 and 153 individuals, respectively, representing the seven species of the group. Phylogeographical and population genetics approaches were used., Key Results: Three of the seven yfAsO showed some degree of genetic differentiation among species. Divergence time for the group was dated to around 4 million years ago. Areas of conservation value were identified, and a scenario of multiple refugia in the southern Brazilian Atlantic rainforest during the Pleistocene climatic oscillations is suggested., Conclusions: We hypothesized that incomplete lineage sorting and localized hybridization events are responsible for the low levels of genetic differentiation and the taxonomic complexity observed among and within the seven yfAsO species. Further studies on Aechmea comata and Aechmea kertesziae will be necessary to clarify the boundary between these two species. Most of the populations sampled showed high genetic diversity and/or unique haplotypes; they should be prioritized for conservation purposes., (© 2017 Botanical Society of America.)

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been identified as a major threat to several amphibian populations in tropical forests. Amphibians that inhabit the phytotelmata (water tanks) of bromeliads may be especially at risk of Bd infection since the humid, environmentally buffered microhabitat that they prefer might also be favorable for Bd persistence on the host. To test this hypothesis, we sampled adults and tadpoles of the bromeligenous anuran Phyllodytes edelmoi (endemic to the northern Brazilian Atlantic Forest) from the bromeliad Portea leptantha for Bd, using qPCR. We also analyzed 8 bromeliad characteristics: water tank temperature and pH, canopy closure, tank diameter, number of leaves, bromeliad maximum column depth to store water, bromeliad relative volume, and season. Adult frogs preferentially selected bromeliads with a smaller diameter, more leaves and a relatively higher volume of water. We found that Bd was more prevalent in frogs inhabiting bromeliad phytotelmata with smaller diameters, suggesting that the behavioral preferences of P. edelmoi may be driving Bd infection patterns. Therefore, species such as P. edelmoi will be trapped by their own natural history traits.

The tank-epiphytic clade of berry-fruited bromeliads, also known as the Core Bromelioideae, represents a remarkable event of adaptive radiation within the Bromeliaceae; however, the details of this radiation have been difficult to study because this lineage is plagued with generic delimitation problems. In this study, we used a phylogenetic approach to investigate a well supported, albeit poorly understood, lineage nested within the Core Bromelioideae, here called the "Ronnbergia Alliance". In order to assess the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of this group, we used three plastid and three nuclear DNA sequence markers combined with a broad sampling across three taxonomic groups and allied species of Aechmea expected to comprise the Ronnbergia Alliance. We combined the datasets to produce a well-supported and resolved phylogenetic hypothesis. Our main results indicated that the Ronnbergia Alliance was a well-supported monophyletic group, sister to the remaining Core Bromelioideae, and it was composed by species of the polyphyletic genera Aechmea, Hohenbergia and Ronnbergia. We identified two major internal lineages with high geographic structure within the Ronnbergia Alliance. The first of these lineages, called the Pacific Clade, contained species of Aechmea and Ronnbergia that occur exclusively from southern Central America to northwestern South America. The second clade, called the Atlantic Clade, contained species of Aechmea, Hohenbergia and Ronnbergia mostly limited to the Atlantic Forest and the Caribbean. We also explored the diagnostic and evolutionary importance of 13 selected characters using ancestral character reconstructions on the phylogenetic hypothesis. We found that the combination of tubular corollas apically spreading and unappendaged ovules had diagnostic value for the Ronnbergia Alliance, whereas flower size, length of the corolla tube, and petal pigmentation and apex were important characters to differentiate the Pacific and Atlantic clades. This study opens new perspectives for future taxonomic reorganizations and provides a framework for evolutionary and biogeographic studies., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present the leaf and floral transcriptomes of two hybridizing bromeliad species that differ in their major pollinator systems. Here we identified candidate genes responsible for pollinator attraction and reproductive isolation in these two species. We searched for candidate genes involved in floral traits, such as colour. Approximately 34 Gbp of cDNA sequence data were produced from both tissues and species, resulting in a total of 424 506 914 raw reads. The de novo-assembled transcriptomes consisted of a total of 263 955 contigs, further clustered into 110 977 unigenes. Over 58% of the unigenes were functionally annotated and assigned to one or more Gene Ontology terms. The transcriptomes revealed 144 unique transcripts that encode key enzymes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways. The domain/family annotation and phylogenetic analysis allowed us to infer, by homology, potential functions of the genes encoding MYB, HD-ZIP and bZIP-HY5 transcription factors, as well as WD40 protein, which may be involved in anthocyanin and flavonoid regulation in these species. These candidate genes are associated with natural regulation in flower colour in other plant species and will facilitate future studies aimed at elucidating the molecular basis of adaptive differentiation and the evolution of mechanisms of pollinator-mediated reproductive isolation in these two bromeliads. In addition, we identified a total of 49 439 microsatellite loci. These resources will assist future research into adaptation and speciation events in bromeliad species, thus providing a starting point for investigation of the molecular mechanisms of the traits responsible for their reproductive isolation., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Nematodes are a very diverse and extremely abundant group of animals, but their occurrence in the tropics is surprisingly little understood. We investigated the meiofauna of epiphytic tank bromeliads in the lowlands of Panama with particular emphasis on nematodes., Results: We encountered 89 morphospecies of nematodes in 54 bromeliad tanks, which were sampled in the wet and the dry season. Rotifers were by far the most abundant group in both the dry and the wet season (with up to 960 individual ml(-1)), followed by nematodes, annelids and harpacticoid copepods. Individual plants hosted up to 25 nematode species. These nematodes represented a diversity of feeding guilds, suction-feeders and deposit-feeders being most abundant. The relative abundances of feeding-types of nematodes differed considerably in the wet and dry season. Both species richness and abundance were strongly correlated with the size of the phytotelms and the season, while species diversity assessed with the Shannon-index was affected by neither of the two., Conclusion: This is the first study with a particular focus on the diversity of nematodes in tank bromeliads. We document a meiofauna of considerable abundance and diversity, which suggests important functional roles in ecological processes such as decomposition, which in turn warrants further study.

Many tank bromeliads have facultative relationships with ants as is the case in French Guiana between Aechmea aquilega (Salib.) Griseb. and the trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus haematodus Linnaeus. Using a redundancy analysis, we determined that the presence of O. haematodus colonies is accompanied by a greater quantity of fine particulate organic matter in the water likely due to their wastes. This increase in nutrient availability is significantly correlated with an increase in the abundance of some detritivorous taxa, suggesting a positive bottom-up influence on the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities living in the A. aquilega wells. On the other hand, the abundance of top predators is negatively affected by a lower number of available wells due to ant constructions for nesting, releasing a top-down pressure that could also favor lower trophic levels., (Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

We review the empirical phylogenetic literature on plant diversification, highlighting challenges in separating the effects of speciation and extinction, in specifying diversification mechanisms, and in making convincing arguments. In recent discussions of context dependence, key opportunities and landscapes, and indirect effects and lag times, we see a distinct shift away from single-point/single-cause 'key innovation' hypotheses toward more nuanced explanations involving multiple interacting causal agents assembled step-wise through a tree. To help crystalize this emerging perspective we introduce the term 'synnovation' (a hybrid of 'synergy' and 'innovation') for an interacting combination of traits with a particular consequence ('key synnovation' in the case of increased diversification rate), and the term 'confluence' for the sequential coming together of a set of traits (innovations and synnovations), environmental changes, and geographic movements along the branches of a phylogenetic tree. We illustrate these concepts using the radiation of Bromeliaceae. We also highlight the generality of these ideas by considering how rate heterogeneity associated with a confluence relates to the existence of particularly species-poor lineages, or 'depauperons.' Many challenges are posed by this re-purposed research framework, including difficulties associated with partial taxon sampling, uncertainty in divergence time estimation, and extinction., (© 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.)