Associations of vascular epiphytes in a Guatemalan cloud forest

Data were collected on epiphyte occurrence on tree trunks of four diameter classes in a Guatemalan cloud forest in order to document the vascular epiphyte flora and to explore aspects of species associations. Of the 68 species recorded, the largest groups were the Orchidaceae (29 species) and the Po...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotropica 1989-03, Vol.21 (1), p.35-40
Main Authors: Catling, P.M. (Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario), Lefkovitch, L.P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological taxonomies
BOSQUES
BOTANICAL COMPOSITION
Branches
Cloud forests
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
COMPOSITION BOTANIQUE
Demecology
ECOLOGIA VEGETAL
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
ENCUESTAS
ENQUETE
EPIFITOS
EPIPHYTE
EPIPHYTES
ESPECE
ESPECIES
Ferns
Forest ecology
FORESTS
FORET
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GUATEMALA
ORCHIDACEAE
PHYTOECOLOGIE
PLANT ECOLOGY
PLANT POPULATION
Plants
Plants and fungi
POBLACION VEGETAL
POLYPODIACEAE
POPULATION VEGETALE
PTERIDOPHYTA
SPECIES
Species diversity
SUCCESSION ECOLOGIQUE
SUCESION ECOLOGICA
SURVEYS
Tree trunks
Trees
TROPICAL ZONES
ZONA TROPICAL
ZONE TROPICALE
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Description
Summary:Data were collected on epiphyte occurrence on tree trunks of four diameter classes in a Guatemalan cloud forest in order to document the vascular epiphyte flora and to explore aspects of species associations. Of the 68 species recorded, the largest groups were the Orchidaceae (29 species) and the Polypodiaceae (18 species). Conditional clustering and constellation analyses revealed associations of small, closely related species on smaller and consequently younger trunks, and associations of larger, less closely related species on larger, and hence older, trunks. The associations of small species possess characteristics correlated with the earlier stages of plant succession and the density-independent and non-equilibrium diversity model. The associations of larger species possess characteristics correlated with the later stages of plant succession and appear to approach equilibrium in species composition.
ISSN:0006-3606
1744-7429
DOI:10.2307/2388439