Using drone imagery to upscale estimates of water capacity in tank bromeliads on steep neotropical inselbergs

A substantial fraction of stored freshwater available on neotropical inselbergs is impounded within the rosettes of bromeliads. Their high water retention capacity can potentially have an outcome on the inselberg community as well as on the surrounding environment. However, there are no studies measuring and extrapolating the water retention capacity of bromeliads from single observations to larger spatial scales. Using simple drone-based imagery, we were able to calculate and upscale the water tank capacity of Alcantarea distractila, a bromeliad genus which is widespread on inselbergs in Southeastern Brazil. Our results provide a firstarge scale quantification of the estimated availability of water tank reservoir of inselbergs, which highlights the potential provisional ecosystem service delivered by bromeliad species.

Automated summary

A significant amount of freshwater in neotropical inselbergs is stored within the rosettes of bromeliads, which have a high water retention capacity and can impact the surrounding environment and community. Using drone-based imagery, the water tank capacity of the widely distributed bromeliad genus Alcantarea distractila in Southeastern Brazil was calculated and upscaled, providing a first large-scale quantification of water tank reservoir availability on inselbergs. This highlights the potential ecosystem service delivered by bromeliad species.