Abstract
This survey aimed to describe the floristic composition and structure of the epiphytic community occurring in a terra firme forest in the city of Coari, Brazil, in the Amazon region. Data collection was performed with a 1.5 ha plot method, with which upland, slope and lowland habitats were sampled. All angiosperm epiphytes and their host plants (diameter at breast height > 10 cm) were sampled. We recorded 3.528 individuals in 13 families, 48 genera and 164 species. Araceae was the most prevalent family with regard to the importance value and stood out in all related parameters, followed by Bromeliaceae, Cyclanthaceae and Orchidaceae. The species with the highest epiphytic importance values were Guzmania lingulata (L.) Mez. and Philodendron linnaei Kunth. The predominant life form was hemiepiphytic. Estimated floristic diversity was 3.2 (H'). The studied epiphytic community was distributed among 727 host plants belonging to 40 families, 123 genera and 324 species. One individual of Guarea convergens T.D. Penn. was the host with the highest richness and abundance of epiphytes. Stems/trunks of host plants were the most colonized segments, and the most favorable habitat for epiphytism was the lowlands, where 84.1% of species and 48.2% of epiphytic specimens were observed.
Highlights
As support for their development, vascular epiphytes use other plants, where they spend their entire life cycle or at least part of it
The study was conducted at the Base Operacional Geólogo Pedro de Moura (BOGPM, Pedro de Moura Base of Geological Operations), installed by the semi-public energy company Petrobras (Brazilian Petroleum) in the city of Coari, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, 653 km from the city of Manaus (Fig. 1), located in the Urucu River basin (4°51’18”-4°52’16”S; 65°17’58”-65°20’01”W), an area with an average elevation of 60-70 m and a surface area of approximately 514.000 ha (PETROBRAS 1989)
The BOGPM is located within the Central Amazonia physiographic region and its dominant physiognomic formation is the rainforest lowland (Veloso 1992)
Summary
As support for their development, vascular epiphytes use other plants (phorophytes), where they spend their entire life cycle (typical epiphytes) or at least part of it (hemiepiphytes). Epiphytes play a key role in the processes and maintenance of ecosystems, where they exert great influence on the cycling of water and nutrients within the forest due to their ability to produce suspended biomass (Benzing 1990). The retained water and organic matter are important resources for different organisms that inhabit the forest canopy (Odum & Pigeon 1970; Nadkarni 2000; Richards 1996). Many species belonging to this group of plants have economic importance, be it for medical, dietary or ornamental use (Nadkarni 1992; Soares 2008).
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