phytotelmata
Phytotelmata are small bodies of water held by plants—the pools that collect in tree holes, pitcher plants, bromeliads, or the cups formed by overlapping leaves.
These miniature aquatic habitats support specialized ecosystems of insects, amphibians, and microorganisms.
The singular is phytotelma, though the plural form appears more often in scientific literature.
- pitcher plantInsect-drowning botanical trap
- bromeliadTropical plant, often epiphytic
- microhabitatSmall distinct living area
- copepodsMinute aquatic crustaceans
- pondsSmall freshwater bodies
water chemistry · tadpoles · ecosystem · protozoa · epiphyte · microecosystems · rainforest species · breeding · tropical · container · bamboo · canopy · frog · stagnant water · damselfly · decomposition · aquatic · hollow
- microhabitatsmicrohabitat, tree hollows, tide pool, rock crevices, leaf litter
phytotelmataocean
Massive saltwater body
sea · deep sea · lake · river · open water
phytotelmatarock pool
Seawater trapped among stones
tide pool · mineral spring · hot spring · groundwater · aquifer