Are Juglans neotropica Plantations Useful as a Refuge of Bryophytes Diversity in Tropical Areas?

Jefferson Medina,Nikolay Aguirre,Luis Montaño,Jorge Déleg,Ángel Benítez,Zhofre Aguirre,Wilson Quizhpe,Karina Gonzalez

doi:10.3390/life11050434

Abstract

Neotropical montane forests are considered biodiversity hotspots, where epiphytic bryophytes are an important component of the diversity, biomass and functioning of these ecosystems. We evaluated the richness and composition of bryophytes in secondary successional forests and mixed plantations of Juglans neotropica. In each forest type, the presence and cover of epiphytic bryophytes was registered in 400 quadrats of 20 cm × 30 cm. We analyzed the effects of canopy openness, diameter at breast height (DBH) and forest type on bryophyte richness, using a generalized linear model (GLM), as well as the changes in species composition using multivariate analysis. Fifty-five bryophyte species were recorded, of which 42 species were in secondary forests and 40 were in mixed plantations. Bryophyte richness did not change at forest level; however, at tree level, richness was higher in the mixed plantation of J. neotropica compared to the secondary forests, due to the presence of species adapted to high light conditions. On the other hand, bryophyte communities were negatively affected by the more open canopy in the mixed plantation of J. neotropica, species adapted to more humid conditions being less abundant. We conclude that species with narrow microclimatic niches are threatened by deforestation, and J. neotropica plantations do not act as refuge for drought-sensitive forest species present in secondary forests.

Highlights

Neotropical forests are the most diverse in the world, occupying an area of about48 million hectares, approximately 50% of which are located in South America [1]
At the forest level, the number of recorded species was similar in the two forest types, with 42 species (18 families and 23 genera) in the montane secondary forest and 41 species in the J. neotropica plantation
The diversity of bryophytes in mixed plantations of J. neotropica and secondary forests was conditioned by the canopy openness

Summary

Introduction

Neotropical forests are the most diverse in the world, occupying an area of about48 million hectares, approximately 50% of which are located in South America [1]. Neotropical forests are the most diverse in the world, occupying an area of about. Ecuador is country with the second largest area of this type of forest in South America (11,200,000 ha), of which only 1,448,700 hectares are protected [4], despite being considered biodiversity hotspots [5,6]. These forests support a wide range of biological resources and provide ecosystem services, mainly related to water, climate regulation and carbon capture and storage [7,8]. Forest plantations occupy about 187 million hectares worldwide, with an annual increase of 4.5 million hectares [18], with South

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