Vascular Epiphytes and Their Potential as a Conservation Tool in Pine-Oak Forests of Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

The pine-oak forests of Chiapas are rich in epiphytes, harbouring 720 confirmed species. The epiphyte vegetation is uunique and adapted to the marked seasonal climate. Anthropogenic disturbance of the pine-oak forest reduces the richness and abundance of epiphytes, not only in terms of surface area but also on the remaining or re-growing trees, and causes a shift towards more drought-resilient species. Epiphytes show resilience to disturbance when trees are selectively logged, rather than being periodically clear-cut. Notably, the epiphyte community is less affected when some of the larger trees are spared which may serve as nearby epiphyte seed source in the successional forest. Nearby sites are more similar in epiphytes than are sites further apart. Hence, epiphyte protective reserves should be well distributed over a physiographically uniform region. Finally, we conclude that in some areas it may well be possible to harvest up to 700 solitary high-quality rosettes per hectare in a sustainable way. This prognosis raises hope for a successful employment of epiphytic bromeliad populations as a tool to help conserve pine-oak forests.