&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The influence of leaf characteristics on epiphyllic cover: a test of hypotheses with artificial leaves&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Mónge-Nájera, Julían; Blanco, Mario A.

doi:10.11646/bde.11.1.3

Cited by 13 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…On the other hand, the controlled application of artificial substrata may help to study particular questions concerning the ecology of foliicolous organisms, without the multiple influence of phorophyte characters and with the possibility of a controlled experimental design. For example, artificial leaves made of plastic tape were used by Monge-Najera & Blanco (1995) to study the influence of leaf characteristics on epiphyll cover, and a project currently under way by the author aims to study the effects of leaf demography and spatial isolation on patterns of diversity (Fig. 1C).…”

Section: >Prelk-!!*o Lmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Plasticolous’ Lichens in a Tropical Rain Forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

Lücking

1998

The Lichenologist

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Anyone who has visited rain forest areas, for example the temperate rain forests of Chile or New Zealand, or other lichen-rich habitats, is aware of the fact that lichens can grow virtually anywhere, including on artificial substrata such as ropes, fences, or car windows (Green & Snelgar 1977; Brightman & Seaward 1978; Schroeter & Sancho 1996). Foliicolous lichens have been thought to be rather substratum specific, if not obligately confined to living leaves, but may occur on other substrata as well, such as the rachis of palm leaves, bamboo culms, or smooth bark (Santesson 1952; Ferraro 1997; Lucking & Santesson, unpublished data). Winkler (1967) investigated the growth of foliicolous bryophytes on glass slides, and similar experiments demonstrated that foliicolous lichens are also able to grow on this surface (Lucking & Lucking, unpublished data). The occurrence of foliicolous lichens on plastic tape was first reported by Sipman (1994) and Monge-Najera & Blanco (1995), and similar observations were made by Serusiaux (pers. comm. 1995) and the author (Fig. 1A). This paper documents the occurrence of a highly diverse lichen flora on a plastic sign of 29-5 x 19-5 cm, found in a tropical lowland rain forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, now deposited in the private collection of the author (Fig. 1B). The plastic sign was found on a small trail along the Rio Puerto Viejo at the forest margin, with a vertical orientation of its surface and the front side facing north west. The survey yielded a total of 63 taxa, of which 55 could be determined to species level (Table 1). Most of the species are otherwise typically foliicolous taxa, whereas a few, such as Coenogonium interpositum, are ubiquitous or occur facultatively on living leaves. The fact that the conditions provided by this artificial surface promote the growth of foliicolous lichens indicates that the discriminant factor for their occurrence is the smoothness of the surface and not its orientation. Generally, a smooth substratum seems to favour the growth of early colonizers and pioneer species, to which most foliicolous lichens belong (Poelt & Vezda 1990). Interestingly, the two sides of the sign differ in their species assemblages. The dark green front is significantly richer in species and shelters a typical foliicolous lichen flora, whereas the white back is colonized by fewer species, several of which are ubiquitous or facultatively foliicolous. The reason might be that the front side faced the forest margin whereas the back side was more exposed, but could also be due to the different colours, resulting in different light reflection characteristics.

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Section: >Prelk-!!*o Lmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Plasticolous’ Lichens in a Tropical Rain Forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

Lücking

1998

The Lichenologist

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“…However, leaf texture is believed to play a role in epiphyll colonization. Generally leathery or papyraceous leaves with smooth surfaces are preferred, but epiphylls also grow on hairy surfaces and even on artificial leaves (Monge-Nájera & Blanco 1995). Only waxy cuticles seem to be less suitable for epiphylls (Pócs 1978, Richards 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microclimatic patterns correlate with the distribution of epiphyllous bryophytes in a tropical lowland rain forest in Costa Rica

et al. 2009

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Quantitative analyses of the factors driving the distribution of bryophytes in the phyllosphere of tropical rain forests are rare. In this study we sampled epiphyllous bryophytes on two leaves of each of 57 individuals belonging to four phorophyte species (Asplundia pittieri, Carludovica drudei, Costus laevis and Dieffenbachia concinna) at three adjacent, but microclimatically varied sites in the Esquinas forest, Costa Rica. Microclimatic parameters and phorophyte identities were correlated to differences in cover, diversity and species composition of bryophyte assemblages by means of Kruskal-Wallis tests, non-metric multidimensional scaling and indicator species analysis. High relative humidity and in particular daily fluctuations in relative humidity proved to be the most important factors for epiphyll distribution suggesting severe constraints of epiphyll colonisation by pronounced humidity fluctuations. Differences in air temperature and light availability as well as phorophyte identity were only weakly correlated with bryophyte cover and diversity. However, species composition of epiphyllous assemblages was related to all microclimatic variables as well as to phorophyte identity. The strong response of epiphyllous bryophytes to even subtle microclimatic variations suggests that undisturbed forest canopies and their control on microclimate may be essential for the development of epiphyll communities.

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“…Although we clearly showed that leaf leachates represented a significant source of N for epiphylls (where made available by the host plant), the differences in extent and direction of N fluxes did not translate into a greater biomass of epiphyllous bryophytes on leaves of C. laevis and C. drudei compared with D. concinna and P. wendlandii. From this, we suggest a low degree of nutritional dependence of epiphylls on their host leaves, or that growth of epiphyllous bryophytes is not strongly limited by N. The frequent colonization of artificial substrates such as glass slides (Winkler, 1967) or plastic tape (Monge‐Nájera & Blanco‐Coto, 1995), and the absence of significant differences in the growth of R. flaccida on leaves of eight different species of host plants (Olarinmoye, 1975), also show that epiphyllous bryophytes are adapted to this oligotrophic environment and can grow well on the low concentrations of nutrients provided by rainfall and leachate sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Phyllosphere nitrogen relations: reciprocal transfer of nitrogen between epiphyllous liverworts and host plants in the understorey of a lowland tropical wet forest in Costa Rica

Wanek

Pörtl

2005

New Phytologist

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Summary• Epiphyllous bryophytes on tropical rainforest plants acquire nutrients from throughfall and free-living N 2 -fixing organisms, but may also depend directly on host leaf leachates. By contrast, after drying events bryophytes lose significant quantities of nutrients through leaching that can be taken up by host leaves.• To assess a potential nutritional interdependency, nitrogen fluxes between epiphyllous liverworts and their host leaves ( Carludovica drudei , Costus laevis , Dieffenbachia concinna , Pentagonia wendlandii ) were quantified by in situ 15 Nlabelling techniques in a lowland rainforest, Piedras Blancas National Park, Costa Rica.• Depending on host species, epiphyllous bryophytes met between 1 and 57% of their N demand from host leaf leachates. Externally supplied 15 N was taken up both by epiphylls and host leaves, but N from epiphyll leachates accounted for < 2.5% of host leaf N after 14 d.• Long-term observations (180 d) demonstrated the highly dynamic nature of phyllosphere N of the investigated tropical rainforest understorey and an intermittent sink capacity of epiphyllous bryophytes.

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<p><strong>The influence of leaf characteristics on epiphyllic cover: a test of hypotheses with artificial leaves</strong></p>

Cited by 13 publications

References 12 publications

‘Plasticolous’ Lichens in a Tropical Rain Forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

‘Plasticolous’ Lichens in a Tropical Rain Forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

Microclimatic patterns correlate with the distribution of epiphyllous bryophytes in a tropical lowland rain forest in Costa Rica

Phyllosphere nitrogen relations: reciprocal transfer of nitrogen between epiphyllous liverworts and host plants in the understorey of a lowland tropical wet forest in Costa Rica

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