Structure of vascular epiphyte component in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in the mountain region of Espírito Santo

The objective of this study was to evaluate the epiphytic community from a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in the montainous region of Espirito Santo state, aiming at observing the distribution of this form of life on phorophytes. The study site is made up by a preserved forest hillside which was analyzed at the top of the hill (Area 1 - altitude of 890 m) and on a slope (Area 2 - 720 m altitude). The method used in the experiment was the centered quarter, selecting 15 points for each area, totaling 120 phorophytes with DBH ≥ 10 cm. For the analysis of epiphytes distribution, the phorophytes were divided into the following strata: low, medium and high shaft, internal and external canopy. Each epiphyte received a frequency grade, resulting in the phytosociological parameters: epiphytic importance (VIe), dominance and frequency (absolute and relative). Twenty-nine species of epiphytes and hemiepiphytes were recorded, and the most representative families were Bromeliaceae (7 species) and Orchidaceae (6 species). There was a low similarity between the two areas (IS = 0.3) with only five species in common. The species with the highest epiphytic importance were two hemiepiphytes: Heteropsis rigidifolia in Area 1 (VIe = 29.1) and Polybotrya espiritosantensis in Area 2 (Vie = 15.3), the first record of the genus Polybotrya as important taxon in epiphytic structure. The richness was low compared to other studies with epiphytes, however, the presence of rare and endangered species demonstrates the importance of the studied forest for the conservation of taxons in the Atlantic Forest.

Epiphytes; Phytosociology; Rain Forest