Biological and chemical quantification of tadpole nurseries (phytotelmata)

Many species of Neotropical frogs have evolved to deposit their tadpoles
in small water bodies inside plant structures called phytotelmata. These
pools are small enough to exclude large predators but have limited
nutrients and high desiccation risk. Here, we explore phytotelm use by
three common Neotropical species: Osteocephalus oophagus, an arboreal frog
that periodically feeds eggs to its tadpoles; Dendrobates tinctorius, a
tadpole-transporting poison frog with cannibalistic tadpoles; and
Allobates femoralis, a terrestrial tadpole-transporting poison frog with
omnivorous tadpoles. We found that D. tinctorius occupies pools across the
chemical and vertical gradient, whereas A. femoralis and O. oophagus
appear to have narrower deposition options that are restricted primarily
by pool height, water capacity, alkalinity, and salinity. Dendrobates
tinctorius tadpoles are particularly flexible, and can survive in a wide
range of chemical, physical, and biological conditions, whereas O.
oophagus seems to prefer small, clear pools and A. femoralis occupies
medium-sized pools with abundant leaf litter and low salinity. Together,
these results show the possible niche partitioning of phytotelmata among
frogs, and provide insight into stressors and resilience of phytotelm
breeders.