Epiphyte-phorophyte relationships: assessing the differences between Seasonal Semideciduous and Swamp Forests in Southeastern Brazil1

Gabriel Mendes Marcusso,Reinaldo Monteiro,Vitor De Andrade Kamimura

doi:10.1590/2236-8906-23/2018

Gabriel Mendes Marcusso, Reinaldo Monteiro + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2236-8906-23/2018

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Journal: Hoehnea	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2019
Citations: 5	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Vascular epiphytes are responsible for a considerable portion of tropical biodiversity; however, the variation of epiphytes-phorophytes relationships in different vegetation types are still poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to assess the presence, abundance, vertical distribution, and life cycle (holoepiphyte and hemiepiphyte) of vascular epiphytes in two vegetation types [Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (- SSF), and Swamp Forest (- SF)] in order to determine any correlation with phorophyte size (diameter and height) and the specificity of phorophyte species to the epiphytic colonization. There was a higher number of phorophytes in SF; however, epiphytes density did not differ between the vegetation types. The recorded vertical distribution also showed different patterns: in the SSF, most epiphytes were found in the canopy, while in the SF they occurred mainly on the trunks of the trees. The abundance of epiphytes was positively correlated with the phorophyte size in the two vegetation types. In the SSF, colonization of phorophytes by epiphytes appeared to be less species-specific than in the SF, where trees density is likely to be a more significant factor to epiphytic colonization. The results showed the importance of the forest heterogeneity in the conservation and maintenance of vascular epiphytes assemblage, demonstrated by differences in the abundance and distribution of the epiphytes, even in contiguous forests.

Highlights

IntroductionVascular epiphytes are defined as plants that grow on other live plants (phorophytes), using them only as mechanical support, either without floor connection (holoepiphytes) or connected just in a part of the life cycle (hemiepiphytes) (Madison 1977)
Vascular epiphytes are defined as plants that grow on other live plants, using them only as mechanical support, either without floor connection or connected just in a part of the life cycle (Madison 1977)
Epiphyte life cycle differed between the two vegetation types (P < 0.5), with both holoepiphyte and hemiepiphytes more common in the Swamp Forest (SF) than in the Semideciduous Forest (SSF), where only three trees hold hemiepiphytes

Summary

Introduction

Vascular epiphytes are defined as plants that grow on other live plants (phorophytes), using them only as mechanical support, either without floor connection (holoepiphytes) or connected just in a part of the life cycle (hemiepiphytes) (Madison 1977). The diversity of vascular epiphytes are known to vary at both local (ter Steege & Cornelissen 1989, Arévalo & Betancur 2004, 2006, Kersten et al 2009, Joanitti 2013) and on a large scale (Gentry & Dodson 1987, Nieder et al 1999, Breier 2005, Leitman et al 2015) Their distribution might follow ecological gradients, both horizontally - among different vegetation types and phorophytes (Benavides et al 2011, Marcusso et al 2016) - and vertically, exhibiting variations on the same phorophyte, from the floor to the canopy (ter Steege & Cornelissen 1989, Nieder et al 1999, Rogalski et al 2016). These distribution changes occur mainly due to the humidity that increases from the canopy to the ground, and to the luminosity and wind that follow the opposite way (Benzing 1995)

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