Epiphytes are common in the canopy of temperate and tropical forests, where they substantially contribute to species diversity and to key ecosystem processes. However, little is known about the effects caused by deforestation on this group of species, especially in northeastern Brazil, an area experiencing intense anthropogenic pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of environmental variables on the structure of assemblies of vascular epiphytes in a fragment of open ombrophilous forest, Areia, northeastern Brazil. Sixty 10 × 10 m sampling plots were installed to cover different environments within the fragment. The relationship between environmental variables and species composition was evaluated by means of a generalized linear mixed model. The composition of assemblies of epiphytes differed with respect to distance from the edge and luminosity. In the study area, deforestation led to a change in the composition of epiphytic species both at the edge and the interior of the fragment.Edge eff ect on vascular epiphytic composition in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil Acta bot. bras. 29(2): 270-273. 2015.

The Brazilian Northeastern Brejos is an important area of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest. However, little is known about the species composition of epiphytes in this type of vegetation. The present study aims to characterize the floristic and phytosociological structure of vascular epiphytic components in an area of the Brazilian Northeastern Brejo. All epiphytes occurring in the area were collected and compared with other studies through NMDS analysis. For the epiphyte phytosociological structure, sixty 10 × 10 m sampling plots were installed. The floristic survey of epiphytes recorded 23 species, distributed in 19 genera and ten families. In plots, 65 host individuals were sampled, and the occurrence of 197 vascular epiphytes, distributed in 12 species, 12 genera and five families was recorded. The floristic composition differs from other areas of the Atlantic Forest, including the northeast, making the Brejo a very peculiar area and with the utmost need of a plan for the conservation of these species.