Translocation of the epiphytic bromeliad Vriesea incurvata: an efficient tool for biodiversity restoration in the Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Micropropagation of epiphytic bromeliads associated to translocation may act as an important tool for conservation, restauration or mitigation initiatives. Vriesea incurvata is an epiphytic tank-forming bromeliad endemic to the Atlantic Forest, being an important species in gallery forest environments. Seeds of V. incurvata were germinated in vitro, and plants were acclimatized and translocated to each of two microhabitats (gallery forest and forest interior) of an Atlantic Forest fragment in South Brazil that harbors few individuals of the species. The 152 plants (76 per microhabitat) were monitored for survival and development, and abiotic data were recorded. There was increased development of morphometric parameters of the plants in the gallery forest, and survival rate ensured an 800% increase in the original population of V. incurvata in the study area. Plant survival and development parameters were positively related to light and relative air humidity. In gallery forest, plants flowered and set fruit, indicating their relationship with pollinators, since V. incurvata provides food for fauna. Further, the establishment of the individuals increased the availability of water in the canopy by accumulation in the rosettes, as well as the complexity of the canopy structure, providing a site for the occurrence of detritivorous, predatory and herbivorous arthropods. Thus, based on the method applied to V. incurvata, inserting epiphytic species into forest environments can be an efficient tool for artificial habitat regeneration, incrementing functional diversity and improving environmental quality.