Bromeliads are a plant family whose leaves frequently form tanks that serve as habitats for a wide range of plants and animals. 1 Clearly, the animal that makes its home in the plant benefits from this interaction. But what about bromeliads themselves? Is the scenario advantageous to the plant? Will it be harmed? Does it make a difference?
In Dr. Richard Lehtinen’s lab, senior Mackenzie Goltz (class of 2020) is researching this topic. While most existing research views the interaction as commensalism, in which the frog benefits but the plant does not and is not harmed, she believes it is mutualistic, in which both sides benefit. 2 Mackenzie can measure the relative growth of plants with and without frogs in the greenhouse (Guzmania lingulata and Neoregelia chlorosticta) to see if they are benefiting. 2
Because it allows for a carefully controlled environment, a research greenhouse is suitable for an experiment like Mackenzie’s. Because strawberry poison dart frogs are endemic to Central America, scientists must recreate their natural environment. 2 The bromeliads and their frogs are kept in tanks in the tropical room, where they are occasionally misted. The research’s significance, though, extends far beyond Wooster’s greenhouse. The results should be more applicable to real-life scenarios if the conditions are as natural as feasible. These findings are significant not only for learning about frogs and bromeliads, but also for a larger knowledge of symbiotic interactions and species co-evolution. According to Mackenzie, strawberry poison dart frogs and bromeliads have a mutualistic relationship “proof of the biological world’s complexity, as well as the connectivity of species.” 2
Bromeliads are a unique type of plant. Their robust, broad leaves form a rosette at the plant’s base, which in many species produces a rosette “I have a tank.” This tank, however, isn’t simply an aquarium; it’s a self-contained ecosystem, interacting in complicated ways with the other plants and creatures that call it home. Each bromeliad tank is its own microhabitat, and many species, including poison dart frogs, rely on it to survive. 1 According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, if two species rely on each other, they should be concerned about conservation at the same level. 1 If a frog species is threatened, the plant on which it depends for survival should be given equal priority.
Hypotheses don’t just appear out of nowhere! While most studies believe the interaction between frogs and bromeliads to be commensal, a 2017 study suggested it could be mutualistic. The researchers came to the conclusion that the plants benefit from the nitrogen in the animals’ feces, which functions as a fertilizer to aid plant growth. 1 In biology, on the other hand, we never stop asking questions! There’s still a lot of work to be done to acquire further evidence for the idea and learn more about the fascinating interaction between these two species. Bromeliads belonging to some frog species have yet to be recognized. 1
As part of Wooster’s Field Botany Course in Spring 2020, H.R.J.P. created this webpage to promote plant appreciation.
- L. T. Sabagh, R. B. Ferreira, and C. F. Duarte Rocha (2017). Further considerations on the importance of species interactions for conservation of host bromeliads and their associated frog species. pp. 201-211 in Symbiosis 73
- M. E. Mann and M. E. Cummings (2012). Colors of poison frogs are accurate indicators of toxicity, especially for bird predators. 179th issue of The American Naturalist (1)
- C. E. Martin, C. E. Martin, C. E. Martin, C (1994). The Bromeliaceae: Physiological Ecology. 60(1), pp. 2-4 in The Botanical Review.
What is the symbiotic relationship between a bromeliad and a tree?
The Orchid plant and the Bromeliad plant have a commensal relationship. Orchids and Bromeliads both grow on trees and gather nourishment from organic matter. And they use their roots to capture water vapor. Furthermore, they do not injure the tree on which they rest.
How does the tree frog use the bromeliad?
According to a study published December 5 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mirco Solé of the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz in Bahia, Brazil, and colleagues, frogs that raise their young in tiny pools of water that collect on plant leaves must make a delicate trade-off between the risk of drying out and the risk of being eaten.
A variety of creatures use the temporary pools of water trapped by the leaf rosette of some Bromeliaceae plants as a source of prey, water, and shelter; one example is the Broad-snout casque-headed Tree Frog (Aparasphenodon arapapa), which uses the water ‘tanks’ of bromeliad plants to mate and rear its tadpoles. The researchers studied the features of the center tanks of 239 bromeliads in Reserve Boa Unio in Bahia, Brazil, including size, water level, and leaf litter, to better understand how the frogs chose the best position.
They compared tree frog-inhabiting bromeliads to those that were empty and discovered that male frogs prefer bromeliads with larger tanks, more water, and less leaf litter, all of which make the tanks less likely to dry out and simpler to access. The largest and most full bromeliad tanks, on the other hand, were devoid of frogs, implying that there is a trade-off to be made when deciding where to breed. Males have a unique bony head shape that they employ to make a tight seal with the bromeliad tank’s aperture, which is considered to protect them from predators. In particularly large bromeliads, forming a tight seal might be difficult, making them a poor choice for a shelter.
The authors suggest that conservation plans should take into account the trade-offs animals face when deciding where to breed.
“Aparasphenodon arapapa, a tropical frog from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, lays its eggs in bromeliads, but instead of simply selecting the largest bromeliad tank with the most water, complex trade-offs between selection pressures and balancing water requirements are involved in bromeliad selection,” Solé continues.
Funding: Fundaço de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia – PET0025/2010 – http://www.fapesb.ba.gov.br – MS. Coordenaço de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvel Superior – master scholarship – http://www.capes.gov.br – ASFL-S, ASFL-S, ASFL-S, ASFL-S Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico – 304999/2015-6 – cnpq.br – MS. Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Coordenaço de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvel Superior – BEX 0585/16-5 – https://www.humboldt-foundation.de – MS. The funders had no involvement in the study design, data collection and analysis, publication decision, or manuscript preparation.
Competing Interests: The authors have stated that they do not have any competing interests.
What symbiotic relationship does a frog have?
I came upon a particularly unusual amphibian called the dotted humming frog while writing last week’s frog blog. You might not think a dotted humming frog is particularly fascinating they’re a dull brownish-gray and around the size of your thumb. The spotted humming frog, on the other hand, is cordial with the burrowing tarantula. They have a symbiotic connection in which the frog eats ants and other pests that would harm the spider’s eggs, and the much larger spider protects the frog from predators (the frog also gets to eat the spider’s leftovers, which makes for an easy supper). The tarantula treats the dotted humming frog like a pet in several ways.
What type of symbiotic relationship is tree frogs use plants as protection?
Many creatures in the rain forest have a commensal connection with the trees and plants that grow throughout the forest. While animals that eat plant seeds benefit themselves, commensalism occurs when seeds move through the fur or feathers of animals without them realizing it. A seed or seed pod will frequently fall upon an animal, such as a sloth, who will then stroll through the forest. The seed will then fall off and germinate, resulting in the growth of a new tree. In this case of commensalism, the plants gain while the animals are uninjured.
Do frogs lay eggs in bromeliads?
Biology. These frogs deposit their eggs in bromeliad water-filled rosettes or other transitory, water-filled holes in the canopy, such as banana leaf sheaths. In these little pools, the tadpoles complete their development.
How are bromeliads useful for animals and tree frogs?
Bromeliad-dwelling animals provide nutrients to the plant through their droppings and when they die. Bromeliads’ prickly leaves also trap forest detritus. Bromeliads have unique leaf pores that allow them to absorb nutrients that other plants lack.
Do frogs living in bromeliads?
Bromeliads are a species of plant that grows in the jungle. They thrive in tropical climates with high rainfall and humidity. They’re actually quite simple to cultivate even if you don’t live in a rainforest (more about that later).
The bladed leaves form a center well in most bromeliads, which grow in a rosette shape. This is where the frogs enter the picture. That central well collects water, which attracts insects. The plant provides a constant supply of water and insects, making it an ideal home for a frog.
As a result, many tropical frogs live in bromeliad plants in the wild. Many tree frog species will lay their eggs within bromeliads and let the tadpoles hatch in the water at the plant’s center. Because the tadpoles are so small, it’s the ideal place to keep them safe from predators that might be lurking in larger water sources.
Do frogs like bromeliads?
Bromeliads are a fascinating genus of plants that come in over 800 different types. Some bromeliads are epiphytic (grow on trees or other objects for support), but others, including the most well-known member of the family, the pineapple plant, require soil for their roots (Ananas comosus). Bromeliads are easy to cultivate in both hot and cold areas, and they come in a wide variety of leaf and flower forms and colors. Most bromeliads form a rosette with a center well, and their distinctive flowers emerge from this well.
Bromeliad blade leaves funnel a lot of water into the central well, giving moisture for insects and other small critters during droughts, while the insects fertilize the plants with organic debris. Frogs are attracted to this constant supply of food and water.
If you want to attract frogs to your yard, plant bromeliads with soft, leathery, broad leaves, such as Aechmea, Neoregalia, Vriesea, or Bilbergia, which thrive in part shade under tree trunks. These bromeliads primarily rely on their central well for water and food, with soil serving mostly as a support system. Frogs can also take refuge in the rosette of leaves.
Plant in the autumn if you live in a warmer climate, or in the spring if you live in a colder climate. Bromeliads with strongly barbed leaves do best in acidic soil in full sun, and grey-leaved bromeliads absorb moisture from the atmosphere and do not require soil.
What relationship exists between the frog and the insect?
Mosquitoes and their amphibian hosts have a one-of-a-kind, reciprocal trophic connection. There is a cyclical dance of avoidance and attraction rather than a one-way predator-prey interaction. This has resulted in spatial and temporal synchronicity amongst organisms, as seen by mosquito emergence timing in the spring and oviposition habitat selection. Mosquitoes that feed on frogs have distinct sensory organs than mosquitoes that feed on mammals. Various blood parasites take advantage of the reciprocal nature of this interaction by transmitting from mosquitos to frogs by mechanical, salivary, or trophic transmission. It’s critical to look at the role of mosquitoes, frogs, and parasites in this interaction in order to better understand the repercussions of manmade acts like mosquito biocontrol and to figure out what’s causing the global reduction of amphibian species.