Terrestrial litter trappers in the Golfo Dulce region: diversity, architecture and ecology of a poorly known group of plant specialists

Autor(en)
Anton Weissenhofer, Wolfgang Wanek, Werner Huber, Anton Weber
Abstrakt

Collection of forest litter and exploitation of the rotting material is a well known life strategy of epiphytic ferns and

tank bromeliads. Recently, this strategy has also been discovered in terrestrial vascular plants, the so-called terrestrial litter trappers

(TLTs). In the Golfo Dulce rainforests, TLTs are found in surprisingly high numbers, both in terms of species and (in places)

abundance, and obviously play a significant ecological role. In the present paper, a species list with a preliminary classification of

the architectural models is given and the various morphological adaptations to litter capture are described. The litter is guided

either to the centre of the crown or to the base of the stem where it accumulates and decomposes. In some species, adventitious

roots grow into the decaying litter to take up nutrients; in others, the plants profit from the nutrient-rich stem flow, thus gaining

advantage over normal, ground-rooting plants. Litter trapping obviously represents a short cut of the litter fall cycle and therefore

an adaption to nutrient-poor rainforest soils

Organisation(en)
Journal
Stapfia
Band
88
Seiten
143-154
Anzahl der Seiten
12
ISSN
0252-192X
Publikationsdatum
2008
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
106030 Pflanzenökologie
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 15 – Leben an Land
Link zum Portal
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/terrestrial-litter-trappers-in-the-golfo-dulce-region-diversity-architecture-and-ecology-of-a-poorly-known-group-of-plant-specialists(ec09e01f-038e-4592-a5cc-46f30959f31c).html