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Victoriano-Romero E, Figueroa-Castro DM, Morales-Linares J. Network analyses show horizontal and vertical distribution of vascular epiphytes on their hosts in a fragment of cloud forest in Central Mexico. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2024:10.1007/s10265-024-01569-6. [PMID: 39180625 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-024-01569-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Cloud forests figure as one of the most diverse ecosystems, accounting not only for a high number of plant species but also with a great variety of interactions among them. A common interaction in these forests is the one between vascular epiphytes and their hosts. However, few studies have used the network approach to analyze them. Here, we analyze the horizontal and vertical structure of the vascular epiphyte - host network in a cloud forest in central Mexico. We quantified the number of epiphyte stands on each host both total and per-stratum. Complete network, group, and species metrics were estimated at both levels of analysis. The host - epiphyte networks had relatively low network size but were highly connected; moderately nested, with low specialization, and modularity; but higher vulnerability than generality, and high niche overlap. The community was composed by a high number of generalist species. To our knowledge this is the first study in which network analyses are conducted with standardized data and including all host and epiphyte species in the community. The analyses suggest that the networks are robust, and that functional redundancy might be probable, two advantageous characteristics in a very fragmented and threatened cloud forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Victoriano-Romero
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México
| | - Dulce María Figueroa-Castro
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México.
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Ecológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México.
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México.
| | - Jonas Morales-Linares
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edif. 112A, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla C.P., 72570, México
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Pie MR, Caron FS, Dallimore T, Einzmann H, Hietz P, Kessler M, Ramos FN, Elias JPC, Kreft H, Krömer T, Higuita MJC, Zuleta D, Machado G, de Gasper AL, Zotz G, Mendieta Leiva G, Jimenez-Lopez DA, Mendes AF, Brancalion P, Mortara S, Blum CT, Irume MV, Martínez-Meléndez Nayely N, Benavides AM, Boelter CR, Batke S. Phylogenetic diversity and the structure of host-epiphyte interactions across the Neotropics. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15500. [PMID: 37361043 PMCID: PMC10286801 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms driving community assembly has been a major focus of ecological research for nearly a century, yet little is known about these mechanisms in commensal communities, particularly with respect to their historical/evolutionary components. Here, we use a large-scale dataset of 4,440 vascular plant species to explore the relationship between the evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) (as measured by the 'species evolutionary history' (SEH)) of host species and the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of their associated epiphyte species. Although there was considerable variation across hosts and their associated epiphyte species, they were largely unrelated to host SEH. Our results mostly support the idea that the determinants of epiphyte colonization success might involve host characteristics that are unrelated to host SEH (e.g., architectural differences between hosts). While determinants of PD of epiphyte assemblages are poorly known, they do not appear to be related to the evolutionary history of host species. Instead, they might be better explained by neutral processes of colonization and extinction. However, the high level of phylogenetic signal in epiphyte PD (independent of SEH) suggests it might still be influenced by yet unrecognized evolutionary determinants. This study highlights how little is still known about the phylogenetic determinants of epiphyte communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcio R. Pie
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
| | - Fernanda S. Caron
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Thom Dallimore
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
- World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Einzmann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Peter Hietz
- Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Kessler
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Flavio Nunes Ramos
- Instituto de Ciências da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brasil
| | | | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Daniel Zuleta
- Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Giesta Machado
- Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - André Luís de Gasper
- Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - Gerhard Zotz
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | | | - Derio Antonio Jimenez-Lopez
- Programa de doctorado en Ciencias, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Alex Fernando Mendes
- Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Sara Mortara
- International Institute for Sustainability IIS-Rio, Rio, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Victória Irume
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Amazônia, Brazil
| | | | | | - Carlos Renato Boelter
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Amazônia, Brazil
| | - Sven Batke
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
- Centro Zamorano de Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ambiente y Desarrollo, Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Francisco Morazan, Honduras
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Couto DR, Francisco TM, Nascimento MT. Commensalistic epiphyte–phorophyte networks in woody vegetation of tropical inselbergs: Patterns of organization and structure. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dayvid Rodrigues Couto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia Campos dos Goytacazes 28013‐602 Brazil
- Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica (INMA) Avenida José Ruschi, 4, Centro Santa Teresa 29650‐000 Brazil
| | - Talitha Mayumi Francisco
- Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica (INMA) Avenida José Ruschi, 4, Centro Santa Teresa 29650‐000 Brazil
| | - Marcelo Trindade Nascimento
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia Campos dos Goytacazes 28013‐602 Brazil
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Marcusso GM, Menini Neto L, Lombardi JA. Plants in the clouds: vascular epiphytes of Pedra Azul, a mountain top in Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil. RODRIGUÉSIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860202273025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Cloud forests usually occur at high-altitude sites of the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil, albeit scattered and fragmented along the mountain tops. In this habitat, the vegetation occurs at low-temperature conditions and is usually provided by additional water sources that arise due to the horizontal precipitation of the frequent fogs. Together with the more considerable air movement and higher luminosity, these factors are conditioning for singular floras at high elevations, mainly the vascular epiphytes, which are macro and microclimate dependent. In the mountains range at the center of the Espírito Santo state, Southeastern Brazil, some mountain tops such as Pedra Azul (PA) hold these environmental features. Here, we aimed to present the first checklist of vascular epiphytes in the Pedra Azul State Park and surroundings based on fieldwork and herbarium specimens. The checklist comprises 152 species, 65 genera, and 17 families, the main families being Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, and Polypodiaceae, with the main genera represented by Vriesea, Acianthera, and Peperomia. The holoepiphytes were the main category among the epiphytes, although an unusually high number of facultative epiphytes were recorded. Asplenium theciferum and Octomeria cucullata are recorded in Espírito Santo for the first time, and we confirmed the occurrence of Rhipsalis cereuscula in the state. Overall, the richness recorded in PA is amongst the highest of the Atlantic Forest cloud forests. Six species are threatened at the national level and 32 at the state level. These results support the importance of the protected area for conserving the flora; however, several species - including threatened - were only recorded in the surroundings, demonstrating that the buffer zone of the Pedra Azul State Park must be included in the management plans.
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Fungal diversity driven by bark features affects phorophyte preference in epiphytic orchids from southern China. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11287. [PMID: 34050223 PMCID: PMC8163780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90877-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epiphytic orchids exhibit varying degrees of phorophyte tree specificity. We performed a pilot study to investigate why epiphytic orchids prefer or avoid certain trees. We selected two orchid species, Panisea uniflora and Bulbophyllum odoratissimum co-occurring in a forest habitat in southern China, where they showed a specific association with Quercus yiwuensis and Pistacia weinmannifolia trees, respectively. We analysed a number of environmental factors potentially influencing the relationship between orchids and trees. Difference in bark features, such as water holding capacity and pH were recorded between Q. yiwuensis and P. weinmannifolia, which could influence both orchid seed germination and fungal diversity on the two phorophytes. Morphological and molecular culture-based methods, combined with metabarcoding analyses, were used to assess fungal communities associated with studied orchids and trees. A total of 162 fungal species in 74 genera were isolated from bark samples. Only two genera, Acremonium and Verticillium, were shared by the two phorophyte species. Metabarcoding analysis confirmed the presence of significantly different fungal communities on the investigated tree and orchid species, with considerable similarity between each orchid species and its host tree, suggesting that the orchid-host tree association is influenced by the fungal communities of the host tree bark.
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Markham J, Fernández Otárola M. Bryophyte and lichen biomass and nitrogen fixation in a high elevation cloud forest in Cerro de La Muerte, Costa Rica. Oecologia 2021; 195:489-497. [PMID: 33394128 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04840-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cloud forests have been found to lose more nitrogen in stream discharge than they gain from atmospheric deposition. They also support a large diversity and biomass of tree epiphytes, predominately composed of cryptogams. Since cryptogam epiphytes harbor nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, they may help make up for the nitrogen loss from ecosystems. We assessed cryptogam biomass on the ground, boles and branches in Quercus costaricensis dominated stands near the tree line in the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Nitrogen fixation was assayed using 15N2 uptake. Total cryptogam biomass was 2 977 kg ha-1, with 67% being found on the lower branches. Bryophytes and chlorolichens made up 53% and 44%, respectively, of the biomass. Half of the bryophyte mass was composed of the liverwort Plagiochila heterophylla, and 66% of the chlorolichen of Lobariella pallida. There were no significant differences in nitrogen fixation rates between the cryptogam species, with a mean rate of 5.04 µg N g-1 day-1 during the predominantly wet condition in the forest. The overall nitrogen input from fixation was 6.1 kg N ha-1 year-1, of which 78% came from bryophytes, 18% from chlorolichens, and 4% from cyanolichens. Only 2.0% of the fixation occurred in cryptogams on the ground, whereas 67%, 24%, and 7% occurred on the lower branches, boles, and upper branches, respectively. These results show that tree epiphytes constitute a significant source of nitrogen for these forests, due to the trees' large surface area, and can make up for the nitrogen lost from these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Markham
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Mauricio Fernández Otárola
- Research Center for Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology (CIBET), and School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, 11501-2060, Costa Rica
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