Close neighbors, not intruders: investigating the role of tank bromeliads in shaping faunal microbiomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tropical montane cloud forests contain high levels of epiphyte diversity. Epiphytic tank bromeliads play an important role in the functioning of these ecosystems and provide a microhabitat for many species of invertebrates. Microbial ecology theory suggests that the environment serves as a source of microbes for animals, but the contribution of this factor to the composition of an animal microbiome varies. In this study, we examined the extent to which tank bromeliads (Tillandsia multicaulis) serve as a source of microbes for two species of fly larvae in a cloud forest fragment in central Veracruz, Mexico.

Methods

We used 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the bacterial communities in the organic matter within bromeliad tanks and in the whole bodies (surfa

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Mota R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12068248 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature