Can air humidity and temperature regimes within cloud forest canopies be predicted from bryophyte and lichen cover?

Batke, Sven P.; Murphy, Brian R.; Hill, Nicholas M.; Kelly, Daniel L.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.03.022

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…These results are consistent with previous work from a lowland rainforest in Costa Rica where VPD had a significant effect on the species composition of canopy epiphytes (Woods et al, 2015). In studies focusing on bryophytes or liverworts, either the relative humidity or temperature had a significant effect on abundance (Karger et al, 2012; dos Santos et al, 2014; Batke et al, 2015), but these effects were not as strong as those in this study and reported here. The VPD is likely a better predictor because it takes into account both temperature and relative humidity, which will also vary as elevation changes.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

“…This canopy community plays a valuable role in the functioning of the TMCF ecosystem via water and nutrient cycling and storage, as well as in providing habitat and food resources for wildlife (Gotsch et al, 2016b). Epiphytes tend to respond strongly to atmospheric conditions, such as relative humidity and air temperature, because these plants are disassociated from ground‐based resources (Cardelus and Chazdon, 2005; Gehrig‐Downie et al, 2012; Karger et al, 2012; dos Santos et al, 2014; Batke et al, 2015). While the aforementioned studies indicate a strong link between microclimate and epiphyte abundance, these studies mostly focused on one functional group of plants.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region

Gotsch

Davidson

Murray

et al. 2017

American J of Botany

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region

Gotsch

Davidson

Murray

et al. 2017

American J of Botany

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“…According to Cortés (2008) and Luteyn (2002), the presence of Macleania rupestris in the lower canopy of these communities points toward recent human intervention. This association is known to prefer humid, cold climates and steep grounds; according to our field observations, it is also associated with high lichen and moss cover in the canopy, which prosper in such a relatively high humidity (Batke et al., 2015; Munzi et al., 2014; Wolf, 1993). As shown in the pRDA ordination, it is also linked to low Shannon's landscape diversity, and higher minimum fragment age, probably representing secondary forest fragments approaching the structure of natural forest communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Seeing the wood despite the trees: Exploring human disturbance impact on plant diversity, community structure, and standing biomass in fragmented high Andean forests

Calbi

Fajardo-Gutiérrez²,

Posada

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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High Andean forests harbor a remarkably high biodiversity and play a key role in providing vital ecosystem services for neighboring cities and settlements. However, they are among the most fragmented and threatened ecosystems in the neotropics. To preserve their unique biodiversity, a deeper understanding of the effects of anthropogenic perturbations on them is urgently needed. Here, we characterized the plant communities of high Andean forest remnants in the hinterland of Bogotá in 32 0.04 ha plots. We assessed the woody vegetation and sampled the understory and epiphytic cover. We gathered data on compositional and structural parameters and compiled a broad array of variables related to anthropogenic disturbance, ranging from local to landscape‐wide metrics. We also assessed phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity. We employed nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to select meaningful variables in a first step of the analysis. Then, we performed partial redundancy analysis (pRDA) and generalized linear models (GLMs) in order to test how selected environmental and anthropogenic variables are affecting the composition, diversity, and aboveground biomass of these forests. Identified woody vegetation and understory layer communities were characterized by differences in elevation, temperature, and relative humidity, but were also related to different levels of human influence. We found that the increase of human‐related disturbance resulted in less phylogenetic diversity and in the phylogenetic clustering of the woody vegetation and in lower aboveground biomass (AGB) values. As to the understory, disturbance was associated with a higher diversity, jointly with a higher phylogenetic dispersion. The most relevant disturbance predictors identified here were as follows: edge effect, proximity of cattle, minimum fragment age, and median patch size. Interestingly, AGB was efficiently predicted by the proportion of late successional species. We therefore recommend the use of AGB and abundance of late successional species as indicators of human disturbance on high Andean forests.

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“…The growth of epiphytic mosses and lichens can be affected by the temperature and moisture [10,11], and by atmospheric deposition [12,13]. Within the forest ecosystem, the growth of epiphytes might clearly reflect the differentiation and heterogeneity of hydrothermal conditions [9,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gaps are a major form of disturbance in primary forest ecosystems that dictate the process of forest regeneration [20,21], as well as the biogeochemical cycles as a result of canopy cation exchange and interception [17]. Gaps can alter the microclimate within the forest ecosystem and affect the growth of epiphytic mosses and lichens [11,22,23]. The forest edge has been documented as preferably adapted to the growth of epiphytes because of the "edge effect" [24,25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Gap Position on the Heavy Metal Contents of Epiphytic Mosses and Lichens on the Fallen Logs and Standing Trees in an Alpine Forest

Wang

Yang

et al. 2018

Forests

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To understand the role of the forest gaps and epiphytic mosses and lichens in the heavy metal cycles of forest ecosystems, the biomass, concentration, and storage of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in epiphytic mosses and lichens on fallen logs and standing trees from the gap center to the closed canopy of an alpine forest ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau were investigated. Mosses were the dominant epiphytes on fallen logs and standing trees and contribute 82.1-95.1% of total epiphyte biomass in the alpine forest. A significantly higher biomass of epiphytic mosses and lichens was observed at the gap edge. The heavy metals concentration in mosses and lichens on fallen logs and standing trees varied widely with gap positions. Lower concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Pb were found in the mosses and lichens under the closed canopy, higher concentrations of Cd and Pb were detected in the mosses and lichens at the gap edge, and higher concentrations of Cu were found at the gap center. A significant difference in Zn concentration was observed between the mosses and lichens. No significant differences in Pb or Zn concentrations were observed in the mosses and lichens between the fallen log and standing tree substrates. Furthermore, the epiphytic mosses and lichens at the gap edge accumulated more Cd, Pb, and Cu, whereas the epiphytic lichens on the fallen logs and large shrubs at the gap center accumulated more Zn. In conclusion, gap regeneration accelerates the cycling of heavy metals in alpine forest ecosystems by promoting the growth of epiphytic mosses and lichens on fallen logs and standing trees at gap edges and increasing the concentration of heavy metals in these plants.

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Can air humidity and temperature regimes within cloud forest canopies be predicted from bryophyte and lichen cover?

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region

Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region

Seeing the wood despite the trees: Exploring human disturbance impact on plant diversity, community structure, and standing biomass in fragmented high Andean forests

Effect of Gap Position on the Heavy Metal Contents of Epiphytic Mosses and Lichens on the Fallen Logs and Standing Trees in an Alpine Forest

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