Branchfall as a Demographic Filter for Epiphyte Communities: Lessons from Forest Floor-Based Sampling

Cabral, Juliano Sarmento; Petter, Gunnar; Mendieta‐Leiva, Glenda; Wagner, Katrin; Zotz, Gerhard; Kreft, Holger

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128019

Cited by 39 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This is unrealistic as environmental factors such as light, water, and nutrient inputs, as well as branch (or twig) diameters, will differ with the location within the canopy, leading to height-specific rates of mortality (Zotz 2007). Furthermore, species interactions will depend on spatial distances (e.g., local reproduction by individual species are more likely in empty sites next to sites that these species currently occupy) and will be spatially correlated (e.g., mortality will be spatially concentrated when whole branches break) (Cabral et al 2015). Taking such spatially explicit processes into account potentially could increase the variance of the trends observed in the current simulations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling community assembly on growing habitat “islands”: a case study on trees and their vascular epiphyte communities

et al. 2019

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The number of available sites for establishment is a key determinant of species richness on habitat islands. While most theoretical studies assume habitat size or capacity to be constant, many natural habitats are characterized by dynamic growth in capacity over ecological timescales. A case in point is provided by trees that serve as habitat for vascular and non-vascular epiphytes. Here, we develop a modeling framework, based on neutral theory, to address the effects of habitat growth on community development, i.e., species richness and abundance. The model is parameterized to the situation of vascular epiphyte communities in tropical lowland forests and includes stochastic reproduction, death, and immigration events from a larger metacommunity. Using numerical simulations, we explore the proportion of growing sites occupied by individuals, the number of empty unoccupied sites, as well as changes in species abundances, species richness, colonization and extinction rates, and the dependence on the abundance in the metacommunity throughout the growth of the habitat. Our analysis suggests two characteristic phases of community development in a growing habitat: (i) an initial phase, characterized by a rapid buildup of empty sites, a slow increase in species abundance, and a fast increase in species richness, and (ii) a second phase, in which the number of empty sites reaches an equilibrium, species richness is accumulating very slowly, while the number of individuals increases unabatedly with habitat capacity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling community assembly on growing habitat “islands”: a case study on trees and their vascular epiphyte communities

et al. 2019

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“…Species with long creeping rhizomes were counted as patches. Epiphytes were sampled up to heights of 8 m with trimming poles and recorded at greater heights using binoculars, climbing lower parts of trees, and searching recently fallen trees and branches within and adjacent to the plots (Gradstein, Nadkarni, Krömer, Holz, & Nöske, 2003; Sarmento Cabral et al, 2015).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latitudinal patterns of species richness and range size of ferns along elevational gradients at the transition from tropics to subtropics

Hernández-Rojas

Kluge

Krömer

et al. 2020

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim:To assess the range size patterns of ferns and lycophytes along elevational gradients at different latitudes in an ecographical transition zone and search for predictors of range size from a set of environmental factors.Location: Mexico, from 15° to 23° N. Taxon: Ferns and lycophytes.Methods: All terrestrial and epiphytic species were recorded in 658 plots of 400 m 2 along eight elevational gradients. To test whether the range size within assemblages increases with elevation and latitude, we calculated the latitudinal range using the northern and southern limits of each species and averaged the latitudinal range of all species within assemblages weighted by their abundances. We related climatic factors and the changes with latitude and elevation with range size using linear mixed-effects models.Results: Species richness per plot increased with elevation up to about 1,500-2,000 m, with strong differences in overall species richness between transects and a reduction with increasing latitude. The mean weighted range size of species within assemblages declined with elevation, and increased with latitude, as predicted by theory. However, we also found marked differences between the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of Mexico, as well as low range size in humid regions. The best models described about 76%-80% of the variability in range size and included the seasonality in both temperature and precipitation, and annual cloud cover. Main conclusion:Latitudinal and elevational patterns of range size in fern assemblages are driven by an interplay of factors favouring wide-ranging species (higher latitudes with increasing temperature seasonality; dryer habitat conditions) and those favouring species with restricted ranges (higher elevations; humid habitat conditions), with additional variation introduced by the specific conditions of individual mountain ranges. Climatically stable, humid habitats apparently provide favourable conditions for small-ranged fern species, and should accordingly be given high priority in regional conservation planning.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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“…Other studies describe the existence of host preference, greater abundance and richness of epiphytes in few host species and host limitation, low abundance of epiphytes in few species of host as a result of limiting factors (ter Steege & Cornelissen 1989, Vergara-Torres et al 2010. It has been proposed that host preference and limitation of vascular epiphytes species, could be associated with the structural characteristics of phorophytes, including branching patterns, physical and chemical bark characteristics and water absorbing capacity of the bark (Migenis & Ackerman 1993, Bernal et al 2005, López-Villalobos et al 2008, Vergara-Torres et al 2010, Ruíz-Cordova et al 2014, Cabral et al 2015. In addition, host preference in orchids may be governed by the distribution of their mycorrhizal symbionts that are needed for seed germination (Arditti 1992, Hietz & Hietz-Seifert 1995, Tupac-Otero et al 2004.…”

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Host affinity and vertical distribution of epiphytic orchids in a montane cloud forest in southern Mexico

2018

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Background: The host´s structural characteristics provide diverse microhabitats that influence the distribution patterns of the epiphytes at different vertical zones and among tree species.Hypotheses: Epiphytic orchids have preference for larger host trees and with non-exfoliating rough bark, while the limiting hosts will be those of smaller size and smooth and exfoliating bark, and there will be fewer individuals in the upper canopy of the host trees because the micro-environmental conditions are more stressful compared to the middle and lower parts of the host trees.Methods: The host preferences and vertical distribution of the epiphytic orchids were analyzed in 20 montane cloud forest fragments. In each fragment, two transects of 2 × 50 m were drawn, and the trees with a diameter at a breast height ≥ 20 cm were recorded. In each tree, basal area was quantified and bark texture was characterized. In each tree and vertical zone, the orchid species present were identified and quantified.Results: Orchid distribution patterns vary between vertical zones and host tree species, and the richness is related to host size and bark texture. The highest species richness and number of epiphytic orchid’s individuals were recorded in host trees with fissured bark and larger size. The distribution of orchids in the host was not homogeneous nor was it related to any particular host species. However, five trees species were considered as host preferred, while five tree species were limiting hosts. The highest richness was recorded in vertical zone II and the lowest in zones I and V.Conclusions: Larger trees contain greater richness of epiphytic orchids, because they offer better conditions for their establishment, provide a great diversity of microhabitats, greater time and area for epiphytic colonization events. The texture of the bark is a relevant factor in the host preference, and in the hosts with smooth bark, the presence of epiphytic orchids depends on the accumulation of organic matter.

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Branchfall as a Demographic Filter for Epiphyte Communities: Lessons from Forest Floor-Based Sampling

Cited by 39 publications

References 49 publications

Modeling community assembly on growing habitat “islands”: a case study on trees and their vascular epiphyte communities

Modeling community assembly on growing habitat “islands”: a case study on trees and their vascular epiphyte communities

Latitudinal patterns of species richness and range size of ferns along elevational gradients at the transition from tropics to subtropics

Host affinity and vertical distribution of epiphytic orchids in a montane cloud forest in southern Mexico

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