These beautiful bromeliad plants use their specialized roots to cling to tree trunks and branches taking nothing but support from trees drawing their water and nutrients from air and moisture that accumulates between their leaves like tiny little cups, storing water for later. Is it commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, or predation?
The relationship between the bromeliad plants and trees can be categorized as commensalism. Commensalism refers to a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits, while the other organism is neither harmed nor helped. In this case, the bromeliad plants use the trees for support but do not harm or provide any benefit to them. The bromeliads, on the other hand, are able to obtain a secure attachment point and access to air and moisture from the environment created by the tree.
