The Nutritional Dynamics of Tillandsia circinnata in Southern Florida and the Origin of the "Air Plant" Strategy

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Abstract
The kinetics of mineral absorption by adult specimens of T. circinnata were determined in the laboratory. The rates at which 11 essential elements were accumulated in proportion to concentrations in the organism at time zero varied considerably, being greatest for certain metallic micronutrients. The significance of these observations for the nutrient budget and life history of this air plant is considered with reference to the nutrient composition of canopy fluids in forests inhabited by vascular epiphytes in general and, in particular, to the rainfall in southern Florida. In addition to its many adaptations designed to enhance nutrient use efficiency for regenerative purposes, T. circinnata is a very effective scavenger of certain mineral elements. An evolutionary scheme describing the origin of the oligotrophic competence obliged by the atmospheric way of life is offered.