Ecosystem services provided by bromeliad plants: a systematic review

The unprecedented loss of biological diversity has negative impacts on ecosystems and the associated benefits which they provide to humans. Bromeliads have high diversity throughout the Neotropics, but they have been negatively affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, herbivorous species invasions, and they are also being commercialized for ornamental use. These plants provide direct benefits to the human society and they also form micro ecosystems in which accumulated water and nutrients support the communities of aquatic and terrestrial species, thus maintaining local diversity. We performed a systematic review of the contribution of bromeliads to ecosystem services across their native geographical distribution. We showed that bromeliads provide a range of ecosystem services such as maintenance of biodiversity, community structure, nutrient cycling, and the availability of food and water. Moreover, bromeliads can regulate the spread of diseases, water and carbon cyc...