Dew Can Prolong Photosynthesis and Water Status During Drought in Some Epiphytic Bromeliads From a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

Abstract

Dew can represent an alternate water source in epiphytic bromeliads. However, the physiological relevance of dew to withstand the dry season, within seasonal forests, is not fully understood. To study the effect of dew deposition in the physiological response of four Tillandsia species with contrasting morphologies, we performed an experiment in the tropical dry deciduous forest of Dzibilchaltún, Mexico, during the transition from the wet to the dry season. Half of the individuals were covered every night with a plastic tarp to prevent dew deposition. Environmental variables were monitored, and physiological variables (relative water content, leaf succulence, nocturnal tissue acidification and electron transport rate) were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. We found that throughout the drought, there was consistent nighttime dew formation for >4 h. Both the time the leaves spent at a temperature below dew point of the air and the effect on water and carbon metabolism was species -specific, as evidenced by the comparison among the exposed and covered (dew -deprived) plants. Tillandsia elongata and Tillandsia brachycaulos had longer times of dew formation and showed higher water content at the end of the experiment when exposed to dew, the latter species also had a significant effect of dew on nocturnal acidity. In contrast, neither Tillandsia yucatana nor Tillandsia fasciculata seemed to be using dew as a relevant source of water during the dry period. We discuss the species’ morphoanatomical traits that may be related to the differences in dew formation and use.