Abstract
Abstract The traits of the bark of host trees can influence the distribution and development of epiphytes. Bark samples were suspended in 10 and 20 mL of distilled water for 1, 4 and 24 h, to evaluate pH determination methods. Bark samples of Myrcia brasiliensis, M. glabra and Myrsine coriacea, three host trees of Cattleya intermedia had bark samples collected from the trunk and the crown, for the evaluation of the pH, water retention capacity and thickness. Shoot height (cm) and number of roots of C. intermedia grown on trunk and into the crown of the three species were evaluated. Volume of solvent and suspension time of the bark samples influenced pH values. The pH and thickness of Myrsine coriacea barks were higher when compared to Myrcia species. Shoot height and number of roots of C. intermedia individuals were significantly higher in the crown. The growth parameters of the reintroduced plants were unrelated to pH and bark thickness. The data bring information for the application of further vascular epiphyte studies including new parameters and greater samplings, in order to support proposals of the conservation of endangered species.
Highlights
The distribution of epiphytic plants in the environment depends, besides abiotic factors, on host characteristics, such as chemical composition and bark morphology, which are important for the establishment and development of individuals (Benzing 1990)
We investigated if pH, water retention capacity and thickness of bark samples collected from the trunk and the crown of arboreal phorophytes could influence the development of Cattleya intermedia Graham (Orchidaceae) plants, which were in situ reintroduced for conservation purposes
The higher the time, the lower the values obtained in both spring of 2015 and autumn of 2016 samplings in each of the water volumes used in the suspension (Tab. 1)
Summary
The distribution of epiphytic plants in the environment depends, besides abiotic factors, on host characteristics, such as chemical composition and bark morphology, which are important for the establishment and development of individuals (Benzing 1990). Factors such as tree bark pH and water retention capacity are mainly related to the size and age of the individuals studied, and to trunk diameter, bark thickness and depth of cracks in its structure (Fritz et al 2009). As the trunk increases in diameter, successive layers of rhytidoma that remain strongly attached to the bark, crack and expose periderm layers of different thicknesses (Legrand et al 1996). These variations between regions with different bark thicknesses, either in the cracks formed during growth on the older parts of the tree, or even in younger regions, such as in upper branches, may vary according to intrinsic characteristics of the tree species (Legrand et al 1996)
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