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

Seiten

143-154

Anzahl der Seiten

ISSN

0252-192X

Publikationsdatum

2008

Peer-reviewed

ÖFOS 2012

106030 Pflanzenökologie

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 15 – Leben an Land

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