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Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation...
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Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 5845

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Thorsten Krömer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz 91090, Mexico
Interests: epiphytic plants; diversity; distribution; ecology; conservation and systematics
Dr. Sven Peter Batke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
Interests: crop sciences; plant ecology; taxonomy and physiology; climate modelling and global change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue dedicated to Epiphytic Plants invites outstanding contributions that delve into the intricate realm of these unique vascular flora, exploring aspects such as their diversity, distribution, ecology, systematics and conservation within the dynamic backdrop of our rapidly changing world. Epiphytic plants, captivating in their ability to flourish on other plants without parasitizing them, have fascinated botanists and ecologists, offering a trove of diversity, adaptations and ecological significance; however, many species are threatened by land-use change.

The collection of articles within this Special Issue aspires to present a well-balanced perspective on different aspects of epiphytic plants, welcoming a wide range of submissions from diverse geographical locations and taxonomic groups. In general, we would be interested in studies investigating the following: the patterns of diversity and restricted distribution (endemism) of vascular epiphytes; ecological interactions between species and their animal visitors; and ecophysiological strategies, functional traits and ecosystem functions. Of particular interest are articles that meticulously address the systematics of epiphytic plants, unravelling their evolutionary intricacies and taxonomic classifications in relation to their global distributions. Additionally, we encourage submissions shedding light on the conservation challenges faced by epiphytes, emanating from local, regional and global perturbations, and encompassing issues like climate change, deforestation and illicit harvesting.

Anticipating that this Special Issue will emerge as an invaluable resource, we extend an invitation to researchers, educators and conservation practitioners to contribute to this issue. Beyond contributing to the advancement of our understanding of these intricate organisms, we envisage that the issue will serve as a clarion call for collective efforts to safeguard these captivating plants amidst the ever-evolving environmental landscape.

Dr. Thorsten Krömer
Dr. Sven Peter Batke
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vascular epiphytes
  • conservation
  • diversity
  • distribution patterns
  • ecological interactions
  • ecophysiology
  • endemism
  • epiphytic communities
  • functional traits
  • systematics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 6748 KiB  
Article
Species Richness, Abundance, and Vertical Distribution of Epiphytic Bromeliads in Primary Forest and Disturbed Forest
by Sugeidi S. Siaz Torres, Edilia de la Rosa-Manzano, Leonardo U. Arellano-Méndez, Karla M. Aguilar-Dorantes, José Guadalupe Martínez Ávalos and María Cruz Juárez Aragón
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2754; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192754 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 783
Abstract
Epiphytes represent a key component in tropical forests. They are affected by anthropogenic and natural disturbances suffered by forests, since they depend on their hosts and the microclimatic conditions they generate. We analyzed differences in abundance, species richness, and vertical distributions of epiphytic [...] Read more.
Epiphytes represent a key component in tropical forests. They are affected by anthropogenic and natural disturbances suffered by forests, since they depend on their hosts and the microclimatic conditions they generate. We analyzed differences in abundance, species richness, and vertical distributions of epiphytic bromeliads in primary and disturbed forests. We found a higher abundance (5316 individuals) and species richness (8 species) of bromeliads in disturbed forest than in primary forest (1360 individuals and 4 species, respectively). Most bromeliads (97%) were found on Taxodium mucronatum, a dominant tree with rough bark in the disturbed forest (gallery forest). Bromeliads were more abundant in the middle of the tree and diminished towards the trunk base and the upper crown. Tillandsia baileyi was the most abundant bromeliad, and the size categories of this species differentially colonize trees in gallery forest according to Johansson zones; seedlings of T. baileyi abundantly colonize the upper canopy, and juveniles colonize the middle canopy or secondary branches. Gallery forest represents an important reservoir for epiphytic bromeliads. Hence, it is important to extend this kind of study to wetland sites to understand the role they play as a habitat for epiphytes, as well as the dynamics and ecological processes that occur in such habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment)
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18 pages, 3637 KiB  
Article
Diverging Elevational Patterns of Tree vs. Epiphyte Species Density, Beta Diversity, and Biomass in a Tropical Dry Forest
by Florian A. Werner and Jürgen Homeier
Plants 2024, 13(18), 2555; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13182555 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 821
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that vascular epiphytes experience low competition for resources (light, water, and nutrients) compared to terrestrial plants. We tested the hypothesis that low resource competition may lead to higher nestedness among vascular epiphyte assemblages compared to trees. We studied [...] Read more.
There is evidence to suggest that vascular epiphytes experience low competition for resources (light, water, and nutrients) compared to terrestrial plants. We tested the hypothesis that low resource competition may lead to higher nestedness among vascular epiphyte assemblages compared to trees. We studied the species composition and biomass of epiphytes and trees along an elevation gradient in a tropical dry forest in SW Ecuador. Both life-forms were inventoried on 25 plots of 400 m2 across five elevation levels (550–1250 m). Tree species density and total species richness increased with elevation, whereas basal area and biomass did not show significant trends. Epiphyte species density and richness both increased strongly with elevation, in parallel to biomass. Plot-level compositional changes were similarly strong for both life-forms. We attribute elevational increases in the species richness of trees and epiphytes to increasing humidity, i.e., more mesic growth conditions. We attribute the more pronounced elevational increase in epiphyte biomass, species density, and richness—the latter coupled with a higher degree of nestedness—to the greater moisture dependency of epiphytes and relatively low direct competition for resources. Our study provides a first comparison of elevational trends in epiphyte and tree diversity and biomass for a tropical dry forest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment)
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14 pages, 7080 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Changing Climate on an Endangered Epiphytic Orchid (Pleione formosana) in a Montane Cloud Forest and the Conservation Challenge Ahead
by Rebecca C.-C. Hsu, Yi-Chiann Chen and Chienyu Lin
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2414; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172414 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 606
Abstract
Pleione formosana Hayata is an endemic orchid that was once widely distributed across the mid-elevations of Taiwan. However, populations of this orchid have steadily shrunk due to orchid poaching in most of its habitats. By correlating data from micrometeorological stations that we installed [...] Read more.
Pleione formosana Hayata is an endemic orchid that was once widely distributed across the mid-elevations of Taiwan. However, populations of this orchid have steadily shrunk due to orchid poaching in most of its habitats. By correlating data from micrometeorological stations that we installed in the cloud forest canopy at the study site, Yuanyang Lake (YYL) from 2017, we discovered the critical role of spring rainfall in triggering flowering and summer rainfall in promoting the growth of new bulbs. We found that rising temperatures and frequent drought events threaten orchid growth, potentially leading to pathogen infections. We climbed old-growth yellow cypresses to collect seed capsules of P. formosana for in vitro germination at YYL beginning in the autumn of 2018. Orchid plantlets were reintroduced to the study site in mid-August of 2022. However, the seedlings failed to survive the summer of 2023. This study is the first persistent monitoring of this rare orchid in the forest canopy of this old-growth cloud forest. Based on the result, we propose conservation strategies and directions for protecting this orchid on a regional scale. Our study highlights the mounting challenge to conservation efforts posed by global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment)
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18 pages, 9522 KiB  
Article
Variation in the Floral Morphology of Prosthechea karwinskii (Orchidaceae), a Mexican Endemic Orchid at Risk
by María Hipólita Santos-Escamilla, Gabriela Cruz-Lustre, Manuel Cuéllar-Martínez, Luicita Lagunez-Rivera and Rodolfo Solano
Plants 2024, 13(14), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141984 - 20 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
Prosthechea karwinskii is an orchid endemic to Mexico, threatened by the destruction of its habitat and the extraction of specimens to meet its demand for ornamental and religious use. Most of its populations, including the most locally abundant ones, are found in Oaxaca [...] Read more.
Prosthechea karwinskii is an orchid endemic to Mexico, threatened by the destruction of its habitat and the extraction of specimens to meet its demand for ornamental and religious use. Most of its populations, including the most locally abundant ones, are found in Oaxaca state. Variations in some floral traits have been observed in these populations. We implemented a morphometric analysis to assess their floral variation and identify the most significant characters in the morphological patterns of this orchid. Floral samples were collected from 17 populations of P. karwinskii in Oaxaca, as well as from specimens used as ornaments during Easter in an Oaxacan community (Zaachila), whose origin is unknown. Sampling of natural populations covered the environmental, geographic, and morphological variation of the species. We performed an analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), canonical variate analysis (CVA), and cluster analysis, including 185 individuals and 45 variables (12 of them were discarded in the multivariate analyses due to high correlation). Characters of the column, lateral sepal, and labellum were most informative for the observed morphological patterns. Albarradas showed the greatest morphological differentiation, mainly due to the column. In general, individuals from the same locality tended to overlap more, especially the populations of Jaltianguis and Yahuiche, which were different from the geographically close population of Etla. Teposcolula presented the highest values in perianth characters, unlike Sola_Rancho Viejo. The specimens recovered from religious ornaments were morphologically more similar to those from Yanhuitlan and Etla. This morphometric analysis identified characters as potential taxonomic markers for P. karwinskii and related species, showing its potential to associate specimens of unknown origin with their probable geographical region. Our work encourages working on collaborative conservation strategies to ensure the long-term permanence of both the species and its traditional uses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment)
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14 pages, 7155 KiB  
Article
Field Work in Papua New Guinea Documents Seven New Records of a Hemiepiphytic Habit in Ferns
by Michael Sundue and Heveakore Maraia
Plants 2024, 13(8), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13081104 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1183
Abstract
Hemiepiphytes have captured the attention of biologists since they seemingly hold clues to the evolution of epiphytes themselves. Hemiepiphytes are known to occur sporadically in the leptosporangiate ferns, but our understanding of their evolution remains limited by the relatively small number of detailed [...] Read more.
Hemiepiphytes have captured the attention of biologists since they seemingly hold clues to the evolution of epiphytes themselves. Hemiepiphytes are known to occur sporadically in the leptosporangiate ferns, but our understanding of their evolution remains limited by the relatively small number of detailed observations. This study adds to our knowledge by documenting seven species previously assumed to be holoepiphytes. This finding was based on fieldwork conducted in the Baining Mountains of Papua New Guinea that resulted in 319 collections representing 206 species. Approximately 3% of these species were hemiepiphytes: Asplenium acrobryum, A. amboinense, A. scandens, A. scolpendropsis, Crepidomanes aphlebioides, Leptochilus macrophyllus, and Sphaerostephanos scandens. All started growth as low-trunk epiphytes, and later, as larger climbing plants, exhibited strongly dimorphic roots consisting of short clasping ones that affixed the rhizome to the trunks and long feeding roots that entered the soil. Most of the seven hemiepiphyte species that we found exhibited distichous phyllotaxy and dorsiventrally flattened rhizomes, suggesting morphological convergence associated with this habit in four families. These new records suggest that large hemiepiphytic clades occur in Asplenium and Leptochilus. Our observations expand the geographic and taxonomic breadth of hemiepiphytic ferns, provide a baseline estimate of their diversity within a tropical flora, and offer morphological and phylogenetic clues to uncover additional records. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epiphytic Plants: Perspective on Their Diversity, Distribution, Systematics and Conservation in the Changing Environment)
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