Edge effect on vascular epiphytic composition in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Epiphytes are common in the canopy of temperate and tropical forests, where they substantially contribute to species diversity and to key ecosystem processes. However, little is known about the effects caused by deforestation on this group of species, especially in northeastern Brazil, an area experiencing intense anthropogenic pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of environmental variables on the structure of assemblies of vascular epiphytes in a fragment of open ombrophilous forest, Areia, northeastern Brazil. Sixty 10 × 10 m sampling plots were installed to cover different environments within the fragment. The relationship between environmental variables and species composition was evaluated by means of a generalized linear mixed model. The composition of assemblies of epiphytes differed with respect to distance from the edge and luminosity. In the study area, deforestation led to a change in the composition of epiphytic species both at the edge and the interior of the fragment.Edge eff ect on vascular epiphytic composition in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil Acta bot. bras. 29(2): 270-273. 2015.

The magnitude and extent of edge effects on vascular epiphytes across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…vascular plants that establish a commensal relationship with their host 26 ) are no exception. Previous studies have shown increasing species richness of epiphytes at edges 27 , while others have revealed a reduction in species richness and abundance near edges 28 , 29 . It is possible, however, that this controversy stems from where an epiphyte is found along the forest’s vertical axis—from canopy to understorey 30 – 32 .…”

Are neotropical predictors of forest epiphyte–host relationships consistent in Indonesia?

“…Methodological advances have facilitated a recent increase in studies of environmental and anthropogenic influences on epiphyte relationships with host trees. Altitude, water availability, bark texture, crown area and heterogeneity, and host size all positively influence epiphyte species richness (Callaway et al 2002, Gentry & Dodson 1987, Woods et al 2015, with negative influences also arising from excess precipitation, and anthropogenic deforestation and degradation (Benzing 1998, Dias-Terceiro et al 2015, Gentry & Dodson 1987. However, these studies have focused almost exclusively on the neotropics (Nadkarni et al 2011).…”