Species Richness, Abundance, and Vertical Distribution of Epiphytic Bromeliads in Primary Forest and Disturbed Forest.

ABSTRACT: Epiphytes represent a key component in tropical forests. They are affected by anthropogenic and natural disturbances suffered by forests, since they depend on their hosts and the microclimatic conditions they generate. We analyzed differences in abundance, species richness, and vertical distributions of epiphytic bromeliads in primary and disturbed forests. We found a higher abundance (5316 individuals) and species richness (8 species) of bromeliads in disturbed forest than in primary forest (1360 individuals and 4 species, respectively). Most bromeliads (97%) were found on Taxodium mucronatum, a dominant tree with rough bark in the disturbed forest (gallery forest). Bromeliads were more abundant in the middle of the tree and diminished towards the trunk base and the upper crown.

SUBMITTER: Siaz Torres SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11478883 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature