title: Plant structure predicts leaf litter capture in the tropical montane bromeliad Tillandsia turneri.
abstract: Leaves intercepted by bromeliads become an important energy and matter resource for invertebrate communities, bacteria, fungi, and the plant itself. The relationship between bromeliad structure, defined as its size and complexity, and accumulated leaf litter was studied in 55 bromeliads of Tillandsia turneri through multiple regression and the Akaike information criterion. Leaf litter accumulation in bromeliads was best explained by size and complexity variables such as plant cover, sheath length, and leaf number. In conclusion, plant structure determines the amount of litter that enters bromeliads, and changes in its structure could affect important processes within ecosystem functioning or species richness.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá , Colombia, Laboratorio de Zoología y Ecología Acuática, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-12, Apartado 4976, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.|Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales , Colombia, Grupo de Investigación en Ecosistemas Tropicales, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26 -10, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ospina-Bautista
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales , Colombia, Grupo de Investigación en Ecosistemas Tropicales, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26 -10, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Estévez Varón
mesh_terms: D003105:Colombia; D065928:Forests; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development*; D031232:Tillandsia / Q000033:anatomy & histology*