Factors controlling brorneliad aquatic fauna richness and composition of Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker, at Restinga de Jacarepiacá - Saquarerna, RJ."

Abstract

Many bromeliads species impound water and debris into their leaves, allowing the establishment of aquatic communities of organisms in the se tanks. We analyzed the effect of tank volume, sun exposure and soil inundation on the richness and species composition of the aquatic communities in Aechmea bromeliifolia (Rudge) Baker central tanks. These terrestrial tank bromeliad were sampled in a sand coastal plain vegetation (restinga) at Jucarepiá, Saquarema, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tanks from flooded soils showed a higher richness than those from unflooded soils. The sun exposure was the main factor affecting the species composition similarity between tanks. The similarities in the species composition of tank bromeliads growing in swamps when compured with non inundated soils bromeliads support the hypothesis of strong barriers, beyond the distance itself (1ike behavior preference or exclusion), restricting the bromeliads tanks colonization by aquatic organisrns from swamps and temporary ponds.