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Vascular Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest: Diversity and Community Ecology

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The Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Epiphytes are plants that germinate and root non-parasitically on other plants, without contact with the soil. They are hyper-diverse and comprise approximately 9% of all vascular plant species. We discuss here vascular epiphytes growing in the Atlantic Forest, focusing on (i) their diversity, the number of epiphyte species, and the main groups and families; (ii) their biogeography and the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on species distributions; (iii) their relationships with phorophyte trees, considering mainly trunk and crown influences on epiphyte communities; and (iv) conservation, discussing epiphyte conservation statuses and reintroductions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil

    Flavio Nunes Ramos & João Pedro Costa Elias

  2. Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Sara Ribeiro Mortara

  3. National Institute of the Atlantic Forest, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil

    Sara Ribeiro Mortara

Authors
  1. Flavio Nunes Ramos
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  2. Sara Ribeiro Mortara
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  3. João Pedro Costa Elias
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

    Marcia C. M. Marques

  2. Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Carlos E. V. Grelle

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Ramos, F.N., Mortara, S.R., Elias, J.P.C. (2021). Vascular Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest: Diversity and Community Ecology. In: Marques, M.C.M., Grelle, C.E.V. (eds) The Atlantic Forest. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55322-7_7

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