Limnological parameters in the water accumulated in tropical bromeliads

GUIMARÃES-SOUZA¹, B.A.; MENDES¹, G.B.; BENTO¹, L.; MAROTTA¹, H.; SANTORO¹, A.L.; ESTEVES¹, F.A.; PINHO¹, L.; FARJALLA¹, V.F. & ENRICH-PRAST¹, A.

¹Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Av. Brigadeiro Trompowsky, s/no Prédio do CCS – Bloco A0 – 008 SS. CEP 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

aeprast@biologia.ufrj.br

 ABSTRACT: The aim of this research was to study whether the phenological differences between Neoregeria cruenta (Graham) and Aechmea nudicaulis (L.) Griseb species, as well as their position in relation to the surrounding vegetation, have influence on the following parameters in the water accumulated in the tank from these species: volume, temperature, conductivity, pH and solids in suspension as well as dissolved oxygen concentrations, dissolved organic carbon, nitrate and ammonia. The oxygen and pH profiles in the water accumulated in 5 N. cruenta individuals were also studied during 24 hours. This study was carried out with bromeliads from Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park (Macaé- RJ). The results of this study show that: 1) limnological parameters in the accumulated water column are influenced by species phenological variations; 2) the bromeliad position in relation to the surrounding vegetation is an important and determinant factor on some physic-chemical parameters in the water accumulated in the bromeliads; 3) respiration ratios are higher than production (R:P>1), which characterizes the metabolism of the studied water bodies as heterotrophic and 4) the water column formed in the bromeliads showed a clinograde oxygen profile.

Key-words: Bromeliads, metabolism, oxygen, pH, Neoregeria cruenta, Aechmea nudicaulis.