Herbivory in a bromeliad of the Peruvian rainforest canopy

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Lowman, M., P. Wittman, and D. Murray. 1996. Herbivory in a bromeliad of the Peruvian rainforest canopy. Journal of the Bromeliad Society 46:52–55.

Very few accounts of herbivory in bromeliads of tropical rain forest canopies have been reported in the literature. Whether this accurately reflects a truly low frequency of herbivory or is simply a consequence of the difficulty of making observations in the upper canopies of tall trees, is not known. Benzing (1992) states that "extensive defoliation is rare in neotropical epiphytes", and our observations (that collectively span over 20 years of tree-climbing and canopy access) agree with this statement. Bromeliads are renowned for their tough and sclerophyllous leaves, below average nutritive qualities of foliage, and in some cases, their mutualistic relationships with ants that protect the plants from predators. All of these features serve to minimize their susceptibility to herbivory.