Summary Leaf mineral composition, the leaf ionome, reflects the complex interaction between a plant and its environment including local soil composition, an influential factor that can limit species distribution and plant productivity. Here we addressed within‐species variation in plant–soil interactions and edaphic adaptation using Arabidopsis halleri, a well‐suited model species as a facultative metallophyte and metal hyperaccumulator.We conducted multi‐element analysis of 1972 paired leaf and soil samples from 165 European populations of A. halleri, at individual resolution to accommodate soil heterogeneity. Results were further confirmed under standardized conditions upon cultivation of 105 field‐collected genotypes on an artificially metal‐contaminated soil in growth chamber experiments.Soil‐independent between‐ and within‐population variation set apart leaf accumulation of zinc, cadmium and lead from all other nutrient and nonessential elements, concurring with differential hypothesized ecological roles in either biotic interaction or nutrition. For these metals, soil–leaf relationships were element‐specific, differed between metalliferous and nonmetalliferous soils and were geographically structured both in the field and under standardized growth conditions, implicating complex scenarios of recent ecological adaptation.Our study provides an example and a reference for future related work and will serve as a basis for the molecular–genetic dissection and ecological analysis of the observed phenotypic variation.

Ecological networks describe the interactions between species, the underlying structure of communities, the function and stability of ecosystems. To date, network analyses have been extensively applied to understand mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, but few have examined commensal interactions, particularly in neotropical regions. The inselbergs of southeastern Brazil are considered one of the three most important regions in the world in terms of terrestrial species diversity and endemism but are poorly studied. In this study, we constructed the first epiphyte-phorophyte commensalistic network in a Brazilian inselberg and examined its structure and robustness to simulated species loss. A total of 138 phorophyte individuals belonging to eight species were observed in 20 2 m × 50 m transects, interacting with 5,039 individuals of vascular epiphytes belonging to 85 species. The epiphyte-phorophyte network structure exhibited a low degree of specilization (H2'), low connectance and robustness; when the most connected phorophyte species were sequentially removed the number of secondary extinctions was high, based on robustness metrics. One generalist phorophyte, Pseudobombax sp. nov., was particularly important, hosting a high number of epiphyte species. A single phorophyte individual of Pseudobombax supported 46% of the total richness of the epiphyte community studied. Our results demonstrate that the richness and abundance of epiphytes were correlated with phorophyte size (as mensured by the DBH, diameter at breast height), probably due to increased habitat area and the time available for colonization. We conclude that phorophyte size and species identuty are important factors for predicting the structure of epiphyte-phorophyte interaction networks. 2We discuss the conservation implications of phorophyte loss and secondary extinctions of epiphytes in Atlantic Forest inselbergs.

Resumo O estado do Espírito Santo apresenta grande variedade de ecossistemas num território relativamente pequeno. A exuberância de suas florestas vem despertando o interesse de muitos naturalistas e viajantes desde o século XIX, os quais deixaram registros valiosos dos primeiros anos da ocupação das "Areas Prohibidas" a leste de Minas Gerais. O cultivo do café, um dos alicerces econômicos do estado, deu início à perda dessas florestas. Tais perdas alavancaram o movimento conservacionista e a pesquisa científica no estado. A biogeografia, riqueza de espécies e de processos ecológicos nos fragmentos que restaram no Espírito Santo ainda revelam surpresas. Dentro do domínio da Floresta Atlântica, o estado abriga diferentes tipos de vegetação: Floresta Ombrófila Densa, Floresta Ombrófila Aberta, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Savanas, Formações Pioneiras e Refúgios Ecológicos. A descrição e classificação da vegetação do Espírito Santo ainda está inacabada tendo em vista as incertezas levantadas por alguns estudos. Também não existe um mapa da vegetação que contemple adequadamente a diversificada vegetação. A despeito de tais limitações, apresentamos descrições sucintas sobre os tipos de vegetação que vêm sendo reconhecidos na literatura moderna.

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Species interactions can shape the structure of natural communities. Such sets of interactions have been described as complex ecological networks, an example of which is the commensal network formed by epiphyte-phorophyte interactions.Vascular epiphytes germinate and grow on phorophytes (support trees), assuming a horizontal distribution (among the phorophyte species) and a vertical distribution (from the base of the tree trunk to the crown of phorophytes, i.e., through ecological zones). Here, we investigated the organization of these structural dimensions of the epiphyte-phorophyte network in a Brazilian tropical montane cloud forest. The analyzed network, comprising 66 epiphyte species and 22 phorophyte species, exhibited a nested structure with a low degree of specialization, a typical pattern for epiphytephorophyte networks in forests. The network was slightly modular, with 65% of the species common to three modules, and had vertical structure corresponding to the vertical organization of the phorophytes. The size (diameter at breast height) of phorophyte individuals influenced the network structure, possibly due to the increase in habitat area, the time available for colonization by epiphytes, and a greater number of microenvironments. We found that the distribution of the epiphyte species differed between the phorophyte ecological zones, with greater richness in the lower portions and greater abundance in the upper portions of the phorophytes. The results provide relevant guidance for future research on the characteristics and the vertical and horizontal organization of vascular epiphyte and phorophyte networks.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material. K E Y

Epiphytes are hyper‐diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non‐vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer‐reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non‐vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non‐vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events.