Abstract
Epiphytes reach up to 67% of the total plant species richness in some tropical areas and act as diverse food resources that can be crucial in times of food scarcity. The avifauna assists in their reproduction, either through pollination or seed dispersal, thus creating a vast interaction spectrum between both communities within a continuous ecological process. Few scientific studies concerning avian and epiphytic community interactions are available and not much is known on their specific relationships. However, their absence can change existing ecological processes in habitats. With this in mind, a study undertaken at the Reserva Ecológica do Guapiaçu, Cachoeiras de Macacu, RJ analyzed bird and epiphytic interactions in three different environments: forest, fragmented forest and pastureland. The aim was to study how these interactions can vary according to their degree of conservation and successional stage. Three observation points were marked in a forest, nine points in forest fragments and ten observation points in the pastureland, thus providing a total of 1056 observation hours. As a result, 643 avian and epiphytic interactions were registered. We tested differences in the number of interactions between the areas. The initial hypothesis was that the largest number of registered interactions would occur in the preserved forest given its preserved state and existing biodiversity; however, the pasture area presented the highest number and variety of interactions. Most of the birds observed in the different habitats presented a high interaction in pasture areas where resource availability is reduced, making epiphytes an important food supply. Epiphytes permit a valuable network of interactions by attracting a high diversity of birds, especially those that disperse fruit or pollinate flowers, illustrating their importance within a degraded environment.
Highlights
Epiphyte plants comprise 33–50% of the total vascular flora of tropical forests and can reach up to 67% of the total plant species richness in some areas (Benzing 1990)
Most of the interactions were recorded in the pasture areas (n = 566 interaction events, 87.9% of the total), while there were fewer interactions in the fragments (n = 63 events, 9.8%) and in the continuous forest (n = 15, 2.3%)
Area affect interactions with pasture area containing the largest record of interactions (P < 0.001, df = 2; Fig. 2)
Summary
Epiphyte plants comprise 33–50% of the total vascular flora of tropical forests and can reach up to 67% of the total plant species richness in some areas (Benzing 1990). This flora provides a variety of resources that are of great importance to birds, including maintaining or expanding bird diversity in Neotropical forests (Nadkarni & Matelson 1989), considering that epiphytes provide different resources such as nectar, fruits, seeds and water, as well as nesting material and nesting sites (Nadkarni & Matelson 1989, Sillet 1994) In some cases, such as in tank bromeliads, the morphology and imbricated arrangement of the leaves allow water and organic matter accumulation (Benzing 1990, Rocha et al 2004), where invertebrates and small vertebrates that constitute prey for various species of birds live (Richards 1996, Rocha et al 2004). Frugivorous bird species are able to consume fruits and seeds of epiphytes, being able to disperse them in trees of forest remnants, and in deforested areas due to the use of isolated trees (Sheldon & Nadkarni 2013)
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