Abstract
Habitat isolation is one of the most important factors endangering the biodiversity, but little research has been done with vascular epiphytes. In order to understand the effect of isolation on the epiphyte community, we studied epiphyte diversity on three plots in a forest fragment, two riparian forest fragments, and in isolated pastureland trees. We found 118 vascular epiphyte species. On forest plots, both epiphyte richness per tree (Stree) and species turnover rate within trees (βtree) registered the highest values, although the lowest Stree diversity was also found there; additionally inside the forest were host species with clearly different epiphyte community. Stree and βtree diversities of riparian fragments behaved similarly to those of the forest. Isolated trees had the second highest Stree diversity, although their βtree diversity was the lowest. In the forest plots were both, the highest and lowest expected accumulated richness (α diversity); on riparian fragments it was intermediate, and the second lowest α diversity was registered for isolated trees. Species turnover rate among plots (β) was high and was associated with both, isolation and a distance gradient from permanent water sources. The epiphyte community on isolated trees was clearly different to the other habitats. Results suggest that deforestation eliminated dry areas and specific hosts that were important for the maintenance of epiphyte species richness. In pastureland trees the epiphyte βtree diversity diminished, suggesting a simplification of the environment for epiphytes and causing a low α diversity.
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Acknowledgements
V. Vázquez, D. Martínez Burgoa, R. Ortíz Pulido, J. Flores Rivas, J. Tolome and R. Márquez Huitzil helped during field work. M. Palacios R., K. V. Mehltreter, P. Hietz and J. García helped with species identification. The comments and criticisms of S. Valencia, F. Escobar, G. Vázquez, L. Eguiarte, A. Espejo, J. Villalobos, G. Williams-Linera, J. Wolf, K. V. Mehltreter, I. Márquez and two anonymous reviewers improved the MS. The research was supported partially by CONACYT grant to JGGF (no. 1840P-N), and the Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología (902–16). An early version was presented by AFP as a part of his PhD thesis at the Instituto de Ecología A. C.
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Appendix 1
Appendix 1
Epiphyte species list found on three plots of lower montane cloud forest (FE, FI and FR), two riparian fragments (RP and RL) and isolated pastureland trees (IPT). In the columns appear the number of trees (DBH ≥ 20 cm) were each species was registered.
FE | FI | FR | RP | RL | IPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angiosperms | ||||||
ARACEAE | ||||||
Anthurium scandens (Aubl.) Engl. subsp. scandens | – | 3 | 26 | 19 | 18 | 11 |
Philodendron advena Schott | – | 2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | – |
Syngonium sagittatum G. S. Bunting | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | – |
ARALIACEAE | ||||||
Oreopanax capitatus (Jacq.) Decne. & Planch. | – | 1 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 3 |
O. liebmannii Marchal | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | – |
O. xalapensis (Kunth) Decne. & Planch. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
O. sp. | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
BROMELIACEAE | ||||||
Catopsis nitida (Hook.) Griseb. | 11 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
C. nutans (Sw.) Griseb. | 4 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 21 | 11 |
C. sessiliflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez | 13 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 43 |
Racinaea ghiesbreghtii (Baker) M. A. Spencer & L.B. Sm. | 18 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 15 |
Tillandsia butzii Mez | 22 | 22 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 37 |
T. deppeana Steud. | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
T. foliosa M. Martens & Galeotti | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 3 |
T. gynmnobotrya Baker | 9 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
T. juncea (Ruiz & Pav.) Poir. | 5 | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
T. kirchoffiana Wittm. | 19 | 15 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 23 |
T. limbata Schltdl. | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
T. lucida E. Morren ex Baker | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 9 |
T. multicaulis Steud. | 25 | 18 | 30 | 39 | 32 | 34 |
T. punctulata Schltdl. & Cham. | 13 | 10 | 21 | 32 | 21 | 45 |
T. punctulata X T. kirchoffiana | – | – | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
T. schiedeana Steud. | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
T. tricolor Schltdl. & Cham. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 3 |
T. usneoides (L.) L. | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
T. viridiflora (Beer) Baker | 1 | 6 | 29 | 6 | 9 | – |
T. sp. | 4 | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | 5 |
COMMELINACEAE | ||||||
Gibasis sp. | 1 | – | – | 4 | 5 | – |
LORANTHACEAE | ||||||
Psittacanthus schiedeanus (Schltdl. & Cham.) Blume | 4 | 1 | – | 5 | 12 | 15 |
Struthantus sp. 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Struthantus sp. 2 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
ORCHIDACEAE | ||||||
Acineta barkeri (Bateman) Lindl. | 1 | – | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
Arpophyllum medium Rchb. f. | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
Barbosella prorepens (Rchb. F.) Schltr. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Brassia verrucosa Lindl. | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Coelia macrostachya Lindl. | – | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | – |
Comparettia falcata Poepp. & Endl. | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Chysis laevis Lindl. | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
Dichaea glauca (Sw.) Lindl. | – | 5 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
D. graminoides (Sw.) Lindl. | – | – | 3 | – | 1 | – |
D. aff. intermedia Ames & Correll | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – |
D. neglecta Schltr. | – | – | 4 | 4 | 4 | – |
Elleanthus cynarocephalus (Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. | – | – | 3 | – | 2 | – |
Encyclia candollei (Lindl.) Schltr. | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
E. polybulbon (Sw.) Dressler | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
Epidendrum laucheanum Rolfe | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
E. parkinsonianum Hook. | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
E. propinquum A. Rich. & Galeotti | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
E. repens Cogn. | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
E. veroscriptum Hágsater | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
Isochilus aff. major Cham. & Schltdl. | – | – | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
I. sp. | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
Jacquiniella leucomelana (Rchb. f.) Schltr. | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – |
J. teretifolia (Sw.) Britton & P. Wilson | 1 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 12 | 3 |
Laelia anceps Lindl. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
Lycaste deppei (G. Lodd.) Lindl. | – | – | 1 | 2 | 4 | – |
Malaxis excavata (Lindl.) Kuntze | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
Maxillaria cucullata Lindl. | – | 2 | 3 | – | – | – |
M. meleagris Lindl. | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 |
M. variabilis Bateman & Lindl. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
Nidema boothii (Lindl.) Schltr. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Oncidium sp. | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
Pleurothallis pachyglossa Lindl. | – | 3 | 17 | – | 3 | – |
P. platystylis Schltr | – | 1 | 4 | – | 9 | – |
P. tubata (G. Lodd.) Steud. | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – |
P. aff. tribuloides (Sw.) Lindl. | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
Prosthechea ochracea (Lindl.) W. E. Higgins | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 |
P. vitellina (Lindl.) W. E. Higgins | 8 | 9 | 10 | – | 5 | 3 |
Rhynchostele cordata (Lindl.) Soto Arenas & Salazar | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Scaphyglottis livida (Lindl.) Schltr. | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 |
Xylobium foveatum (Lindl.) G. Nicholson | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
PALMAE | ||||||
Chamaedora tepejilote Liebm. Ex Mart. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
PIPERACEAE | ||||||
Peperomia alata Ruiz & Pav. | – | 2 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
P. galioides Kunth | – | 2 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
P. pseudoalpina Trel. | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 22 | 8 |
P. sp. 1 | – | – | 15 | – | 1 | – |
P. sp. 2 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 1 | 14 | – |
RUBIACEAE | ||||||
Unknown | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
STAPHYLEACEAE | ||||||
Turpinia insignis (Kunth.) Tul. | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
VISCACEAE | ||||||
Phoradendron sp. | – | 1 | – | 3 | 2 | 18 |
Pteridophytes | ||||||
ASPLENIACEAE | ||||||
Asplenium auriculatum Sw. | – | – | 1 | 3 | 1 | – |
A. cuspidatum Lam. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
A. harpeodes Kunze | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
A. sphaerosporum A. R. Sm. | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
A. sp. | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
GRAMMITIDACEAE | ||||||
Grammitis leptostoma (Fée) Seym. | – | 1 | 5 | – | – | – |
G. pilosissima (M. Martens & Galeotti) C. V. Morton | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
G. sp. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
HYMENOPHYLLACEAE | ||||||
Hymenophyllum polyanthos (Sw.) Sw. | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
H. sp. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
Trichomanes capillaceum L. | 1 | 5 | 5 | – | – | – |
T. reptans Sw. | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
LOMARIOPSIDACEAE | ||||||
Elaphoglossum glaucum T. Moore | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
E. guatemalense (Klotzsch) T. Moore | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
E. lonchophyllum (Fée) T. Moore | – | – | 4 | – | – | 1 |
E. vestitum (Schltdl. & Cham.) Schott ex T. Moore | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 9 | – |
Peltapteris peltata (Sw.) C. V. Morton | – | – | 3 | – | 1 | – |
LYCOPODIACEAE | ||||||
Huperzia linifolia (L.) Trevis. | – | – | 5 | 2 | – | – |
H. myrsinites (Lam.) Trevis. | – | – | 3 | 3 | 3 | – |
H. pringlei (Underw. & F. E. Lloyd) Holub. | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – |
H. taxifolia (Sw.) Trevis. | – | – | 5 | 3 | 5 | – |
OPHIOGLOSSACEAE | ||||||
Botrychium virginianum (L.) Sw. | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – |
POLYPODIACEAE | ||||||
Campyloneurum sp. | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
Pecluma alfredii (Rosenst.) M. G. Price | – | 2 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Phlebodium areolatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) J. Smith | 21 | 12 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 29 |
Pleopeltis angusta var. stenolama (Fée) Farw. | 5 | 5 | 13 | 22 | 8 | 7 |
P. crassinervata (Fée) T. Moore | 9 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 13 |
P. mexicana (Fée) Mickel & Beitel | 12 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 21 |
Polypodium adelphum Maxon | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
P. cryptocarpon Fée | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
P. furfuraceum Schltdl. & Cham. | 4 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 14 | 13 |
P. lepidotrichum (Fée) Maxon | 3 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
P. loriceum L. | 3 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 11 | – |
P. plebeium Schltdl. & Cham. | 9 | 10 | 30 | 28 | 21 | 15 |
P. puberulum Schltdl. & Cham. | – | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | – |
PSILOTACEAE | ||||||
Psilotum complanatum Sw. | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
SELAGINELLACEAE | ||||||
Selaginella martensi Spring | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
VITTARIACEAE | ||||||
Vittaria graminifolia Kaulf. | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | – |
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Flores-Palacios, A., García-Franco, J.G. Habitat isolation changes the beta diversity of the vascular epiphyte community in lower montane forest, Veracruz, Mexico. Biodivers Conserv 17, 191–207 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-007-9239-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-007-9239-6