Acid waters in tank bromeliads: Causes and potential consequences.

Premise: The consequences of acidity for plant performance are profound, yet the prevalence and causes of low pH in bromeliad tank water are unknown despite its functional relevance to key members of many neotropical plant communities.

Methods: We investigated tank water pH for eight bromeliad species in the field and for the widely occurring Guzmania monostachia in varying light. We compared pH changes over time between plant and artificial tanks containing a solution combined from several plants.