Community ecology of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Geicilaine Alves Basílio,Luiz Menini Neto,Fernando Rodrigues Silva,Samyra Gomes Furtado,Daniel Elias Ferreira Barbosa

doi:10.1590/2236-8906-68/2013

Geicilaine Alves Basílio, Luiz Menini Neto + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/2236-8906-68/2013

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Abstract

The present study aimed to document the composition, richness, diversity as well as horizontal and vertical distribution of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in a fragment of submontane seasonal semideciduous forest in Minas Gerais State (-21°38'15''S, -43°10'55''W). Three plots (semicircles with a radius of 25 m) were marked and we found 72 phorophytes that harbor 15 species of epiphytic Bromeliaceae, distributed in nine genera. Nidularium azureum (L.B.Sm.) Leme is local endemic, and considered critically endangered. In general, the richness is higher than other larger areas of seasonal semideciduous or even ombrophilous forests. Some differences concerning composition, diversity and richness among the plots were found and must be due to microhabitat conditions. Trunks supported most occurrences (101 out of 246) and Tillandsia stricta Sol. ex Sims had the highest frequency on the phorophytes. The values of H’ = 2.34 and J = 0.87 must be considered similar or even higher than some ombrophilous forests.

Highlights

Bromeliaceae is composed of nearly 52 genera and 3320 species (The Plant List 2013) distributed in the subfamilies Brocchinioideae, Bromelioideae, Hechtioideae, Lindmanioideae, Navioideae, Pitcairnioideae, Puyoideae and Tillandsioideae (Givnish et al 2011), presenting essentially a Neotropical distribution (Smith & Downs 1974)
Bromelioideae presented the greatest number of genera and species: Aechmea nudicaulis (L.) Griseb., Aechmea sp., Billbergia distachia (Vell.)
Among the species listed by Barbosa et al (2015), Acanthostachys strobilacea (Schult. & Schult.f.) Klotzsch, Billbergia zebrina (Herb.) Lindl. and Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. were not found in the present study

Summary

Introduction

Bromeliaceae is composed of nearly 52 genera and 3320 species (The Plant List 2013) distributed in the subfamilies Brocchinioideae, Bromelioideae, Hechtioideae, Lindmanioideae, Navioideae, Pitcairnioideae, Puyoideae and Tillandsioideae (Givnish et al 2011), presenting essentially a Neotropical distribution (Smith & Downs 1974). Brazil harbors 44 genera and about 1307 species and the Atlantic Forest must be highlighted, in which Bromeliaceae is the fourth most diverse family, 1. Parte do Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso do primeiro Autor, Curso de Ciências Biológicas do Centro de Ensino Superior de Juiz de Fora, SP, Brazil. 2. Centro de Ensino Superior de Juiz de Fora, Campus Arnaldo Janssen, Luz Interior 345, Santa Luzia, 36030-776 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. 3. Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Botânica, 36036-900 Martelos, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Minas Gerais is the third richest Brazilian State in Bromeliaceae, and comprises 27 genera and 265 species and 18 infraspecific taxa, of which 102 (36%) are endemic to the State and 97 (34%) are exclusive to the Atlantic Forest (Versieux & Wendt 2007)

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