Effects of desiccation and rehydration on nitrogen fixation by epiphylls in a tropical rainforest.
Nitrogen fixation rates by epiphyllous microorganisms are affected by desiccation. Rates from leaf samples which had been dried for 12 h were 0.66 ng N/10 cm(2)/h. In contrast, rates from leaves which had been kept continuously wet were 18.69 ng N/10 cm(2)/h. Leaf samples which had been rehydrated for 2 and 4 h showed intermediate fixation rates (4.26 and 9.76 ng N/10 cm(2)/h, respectively). Epiphyllous bryophytes maintain moist conditions on the leaf surface and thus create a microenvironment suitable for prolonged fixation by the microorganisms.
Department of Ecology and Evolution, and Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794, Long Island, New York.
B L
BL
Bentley
E J
EJ
Carpenter