Can regional and local filters explain epiphytic bryophyte distributions in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil?

Abstract

Environmental conditions in distinct tropical rainforest phytophysiognomies can act as regional fi lters in determining the distribution of montane bryofl ora likewise, local fi lters inherent to phorophyte species can have modulating infl uences. We analyzed the bryophyte communities in three phytophysiognomies of Atlantic Forest, in order to examine the infl uences of local (phorophyte species) and regional (forest phytophysiognomies) fi lters on their distributions. Th e study was undertaken in the Serra do Mar State Park, Ubatuba, SP, Brazil, using 1 ha plots in three forest phytophysiognomies along an elevational gradient. Four phorophyte species were selected, with three to seven replicates each. Th e line-intercept method was used on each phorophyte for collecting botanical material. Multivariate analyses were used to correlate species distributions with environmental fi lters. A total of 71 taxa were identifi ed. Mean bryophyte coverage did not vary among the diff erent phytophysiognomies, and although their species compositions were markedly distinct, no cohesive or isolated groups were found. Among the local fi lters examined, phorophyte DBH was found to be correlated with bryophyte coverage; the pH of the bark of Euterpe edulis and the high rugosity of the trunk of the Cyatheaceae infl uenced species compositions. Other fi lters not evaluated here may also be relevant for determining species distributions.

Microclimatic conditions and water content fluctuations experienced by epiphytic bryophytes in an Amazonian rain forest

“…The weight of the bryophytes was determined when they were moistened until saturation (temperature 30 • C; relative humidity, RH, 100 %) and again after drying in a dryer overnight (temperature 40 • C, RH 30 %) to simulate the natural range of the WC under controlled temperature and RH conditions. The dry weight (DW) was determined after drying at 60 • C until weight consistency was reached (Caesar et al, 2018). The WC of the sample was calculated in analogy to Eq.…”

Distribution, ecology, and reproduction of bryophytes in a humid enclave in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil

“…A number of studies have demonstrated the existence of bryophyte specificities for distinct phorophytes in tropical and temperate forests (Cornelissen & Steege 1989;Schmitt & Slack 1990;Wolf 1994;Mancebo et al 2003;Batista & Santos 2016), and related the heterogeneity of tree trunk conditions (e.g., their diameters and bark attributes such as roughness, pH, porosity, and water retention capacity, etc.) with greater microhabitat availability (i.e., more available colonization niches) (Smith 1982;Frahm 1990;Bates 1992).…”

Bryophytes of the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, an Atlantic Forest Remnant in Southeastern Brazil

“…Substrate colonization -In the PEBS, most bryophytes showed substrate type preferences,with a greater number of species found in tree bark (63 taxa). This predominance could be related to heterogeneous conditions, such as the varied sizes of the phorophytes and the physical characteristics of bark -with more available colonization niches- (Bates 1992, Frahm 2003, Batista et al 2018, combined with forest conditions of temperature, luminosity, and humidity (Batista & Santos 2016). In works done in the Atlantic Forest, Germano & Pôrto (2005), Sousa & Câmara (2015) and also observed a greater number of corticicolous species and they also point to the reasons stated above.…”