Host specificity in vascular epiphytes: a review of methodology, empirical evidence and potential mechanisms

Wagner, Katrin; Mendieta‐Leiva, Glenda; Zotz, Gerhard

doi:10.1093/aobpla/plu092

Cited by 158 publications

(194 citation statements)

References 156 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

174

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…On the whole, the different substrates end up creating some ecological redundancy, with most species being present in multiple substrates and most substrates supporting a wide variety of species, a pattern already reported for the archipelago's bryoflora (Sjögren 2003, Gabriel andBates 2005). This lack of substratum preference was tentatively explained by Sjögren (2003) as the result of optimal habitat conditions in the Azores, with substrate preferences appearing to be more obvious when species occur at the margin of their survival ability (Sjögren 1997, Wagner et al 2015.…”

Section: Substrate Level Beta Diversitymentioning

confidence: 74%

Regional processes drive bryophyte diversity and community composition in a small oceanic island

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How are bryophyte alpha and beta diversities distributed across spatial scales along an elevational gradient in an oceanic island? Which mechanisms and drivers operate to shape them? Starting from a multiscale hierarchical sampling approach along an 1000 m elevational transect, we used additive diversity partitioning and null modeling to evaluate the contributions of the alpha and beta diversity components to overall bryophyte diversity in Terceira Island, Azores. Substrate-level diversity patterns were explored by means of the Sørensen Similarity Index and the Lloyd Index of Patchiness. Elevation-level beta diversity was decomposed into its replacement and richness differences components, with several environmental variables being evaluated as diversity predictors. Bryophyte diversity proved to be primarily due to beta diversity between elevation sites, followed by diversity among substrates. Compositional differences between neighboring sites decreased with elevation, being mainly caused by species replacement and correlating with differences in relative humidity and disturbance. At the substrate level, we found a great homogeneity in terms of species composition, coupled with a low substrate specialization rate. We conclude that, in Terceira's native vegetation patches, regional processes, such as environmental gradients associated with elevation, play a greater role in shaping bryophyte diversity than local processes. Moister and less disturbed areas at mid-high elevation harbor a richer bryoflora, consistently more similar and stable between neighbouring sites. Simultaneously, the different substrates available are somewhat ecologically redundant, supporting few specialized species, pointing to these areas providing optimal habitat conditions for bryophytes. Our findings provide a better understanding of how bryophyte diversity is generated in Terceira Island, indicating that management and conservation measures should focus on island-level approaches, aiming to protect and rehabilitate additional natural vegetation patches at different elevations, especially in the severely disturbed lowlands.

show abstract

Section: Substrate Level Beta Diversitymentioning

confidence: 74%

Regional processes drive bryophyte diversity and community composition in a small oceanic island

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Many epiphytes show preferences for specific characteristics of the host trees (Benzing 2000, Benavides et al 2011, Wagner et al 2015. Therefore, phylogenetically analogous trees or those that share morphology or functional traits may host similar species of epiphytes (Chaves et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, phylogenetically analogous trees or those that share morphology or functional traits may host similar species of epiphytes (Chaves et al 2016). The bark structure of the tree is an important feature that affects the preference of bromeliads, since the bark influences the microclimate near the trunk (Callaway et al 2002, Vergara-Torres et al 2010, Wagner et al 2015. Increased roughness of the bark provides greater capacity of retention of organic matter and humidity, promoting the germination of seeds and the development of epiphytes (Benzing 1990, Laube and Zotz 2006, Tewari et al 2009, Chomba et al 2011, Wagner et al 2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The bark structure of the tree is an important feature that affects the preference of bromeliads, since the bark influences the microclimate near the trunk (Callaway et al 2002, Vergara-Torres et al 2010, Wagner et al 2015. Increased roughness of the bark provides greater capacity of retention of organic matter and humidity, promoting the germination of seeds and the development of epiphytes (Benzing 1990, Laube and Zotz 2006, Tewari et al 2009, Chomba et al 2011, Wagner et al 2015. In the present study, all bromeliad species were found on L. racemosa, which is the mangrove species with greatest bark roughness (Marcelli 1992, Schaeffer-Novelli 1995.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Diversity and distribution of epiphytic bromeliads in a Brazilian subtropical mangrove

Sousa

Colpo²

2017

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is not unusual to find epiphytic bromeliads in mangroves, but most studies on mangrove vegetation do not record their presence. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity and distribution of epiphytic bromeliads in a subtropical mangrove. The richness, abundance and life form (atmospheric and tank) of bromeliads were recorded and compared among host tree species and waterline proximity. The effects of diameter and height of host trees on the abundance of bromeliads were also assessed. The mangrove was composed of Avicennia schaueriana, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle. We recorded seven bromeliad species of the genera Tillandsia and Vriesea. The waterline proximity did not affect the abundance or diversity of bromeliads, but atmospheric forms were predominant near the waterline, whereas tank bromeliads were more frequent in the interior of the mangrove. The three mangrove species hosted bromeliads, but L. racemosa was the preferred host. The species composition showed that the distribution of bromeliads is more related to the host species than to the distance from the waterline. Bromeliad abundance increased with tree size. Bromeliads can be biological indicators of ecosystem health; therefore, inventories and host tree preferences are necessary knowledge for an adequate management of sensitive ecosystems as mangroves.

show abstract

“…This pattern has been attributed to losses during seed dispersal and herbaceous plant competition in the recovery of tree structure after disturbance [65]. Thus, exploring alternative tree features, such as substratum availability [66], and functional traits in phorophytes [67] might be a more comprehensive approach of determining the small scale significance of phorophyte-epiphyte mechanisms that rule orchid distribution. For instance, Ruiz-Cordova et al [66] experimentally demonstrated that substratum availability ruled the vertical stratification of epiphyte bromeliads over microclimatic conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Edge Influence on Diversity of Orchids in Andean Cloud Forests

Sánchez

Armenteras

Retana

2016

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cloud forests harbor high levels of orchid diversity. However, due to the high fragmentation of these forests in the Andes, combined with the pressure for new agricultural land, orchid diversity is highly threatened. Despite this worrying scenario, few studies have assessed the effects of habitat loss specifically on orchid assemblages in the Andes. The aim of this study was to analyze the edge effect on orchids in cloud forest fragments of varying size. We measured forest structure, neighboring land cover and edge effect on orchid abundance, species richness and beta-diversity, by sampling assemblages along edge-to-interior transects in six different sized Andean (southwest Colombia) forest remnants. We recorded 11,127 stem-individuals of orchids in 141 species. Within the forest, edges sustained equal or more species than interior plots. Our results revealed neither patch metrics nor forest structure showed any significant association to orchid diversity at any scale. Nonetheless, from our observations in composition, the type of neighboring cover, particularly pastures, negatively influences interior species (richness and composition) in larger reserves. This might be due to the fact that some species found in interior plots tend to be confined, with sporadic appearances in regeneration forest and are very scarce or absent in pastures. Species richness differed significantly between matrix types. Our results suggest that (1) orchid diversity shows spatial variability in response to disturbances, but the response is independent from forest structure, patch size and patch geometry; (2) orchid communities are negatively affected by covers, and this pattern is reflected in reduced richness and high species turnover; (3) orchid richness edge effect across a pasture-interior gradient. Two forest management implications can be discerned from our results: (1) management strategies aiming to reduce edge effects may focus on improvement regeneration conditions around pasture lands; and (2) local scale management and conservation activities of natural forests in cloud forests will favor small reserves that harbor high levels of richness.

show abstract

Host specificity in vascular epiphytes: a review of methodology, empirical evidence and potential mechanisms

Cited by 158 publications

References 156 publications

Regional processes drive bryophyte diversity and community composition in a small oceanic island

Regional processes drive bryophyte diversity and community composition in a small oceanic island

Diversity and distribution of epiphytic bromeliads in a Brazilian subtropical mangrove

Edge Influence on Diversity of Orchids in Andean Cloud Forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About