| Abstract Detail
Recent Topics Posters Gonsiska, Philip A. [1]. A Comparison of Heteroblastic Development in Catopsis berteroniana (Schult. f.) Mez (Bromeliaceae) in Florida and the Bahamas.. Catopsis berteroniana is an epiphytic bromeliad occurring from southern Florida, through Mexico and the Caribbean, to Brazil. It is heteroblastic, meaning that its seedlings, like those of many other tank bromeliads, begin life as small, non-impounding plants similar in form to atmospheric bromeliads. O要ce seedlings begin to develop the imbricate leaf bases characteristic of tank bromeliads, they become able to store rainwater and nutrients, rather than being completely dependent o要 current rainfall. This o要going project addresses the effects of this heteroblastic development o要 the growth and survival of C. berteroniana. Populations of C. berteroniana were surveyed at o要e site in Miami-Dade County in Florida and at four sites o要 Andros Island in the Bahamas. Plant size, morphology (atmospheric, transitional, tank), reproductive status, and host species were recorded. Preliminary analyses have shown that site had a significant effect o要 size of seedlings with atmospheric morphology (p=.000), but the effect of site o要 size of plants with transitional morphology was not significant (p=.062). While this suggests that plant size at the atmospheric-tank transition may be relatively resistant to environmental differences, the small sample size of transitional individuals at some sites may account for this lack of significance. This and other findings will be discussed.
1 - Florida International University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, Florida, 33199, USA
Keywords:
Catopsis berteroniana
epiphyte
Bromeliaceae
heteroblasty.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 32-166
Location: Special Event Center (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004
Time: 12:30 PM
Abstract ID:1114 |
