TRAITS OF THE GUAZUMA ULMIFOLIA AND SAMANEA SAMAN PHOROPHYTES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF EPIPHYTE PLANTS

Bark traits in phorophytes influence the establishment and spatial distribution of epiphytic plants. Given this, at the campus of the Universidad Técnica Nacional, in Atenas, Costa Rica, bark surface rugosity and water retention capacity of Guazuma ulmifolia and Samanea saman were evaluated. The diversity and similarity indices of epiphytic plants present in each phorophyte were analyzed. Thirty phorophytes, 15 from G. ulmifolia and 15 from Samanea saman, were marked and georeferenced and zoned according to the Johansson zone classification, and subsequently, the species that grow in each zone were inventoried. We registered 447 epiphytes, belonging to 9 families, 21 genera and 35 species. The phorophytes did not show a homogeneous distribution of epiphytes within their strata (stem and canopy) and the distribution of species by Johansson zone is different. Epiphytic species with host specificity were identified. A positive and highly significant correlation was determined between DAP and the abundance of epiphytes in S. saman.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cedeño Fonseca, Marco, Chinchilla, Isler F.
Format: Digital revista
Language:spa
Published: Editorial Universitaria - Universidad de Panamá. 2021
Online Access:https://revistas.up.ac.pa/index.php/scientia/article/view/2288
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Summary:Bark traits in phorophytes influence the establishment and spatial distribution of epiphytic plants. Given this, at the campus of the Universidad Técnica Nacional, in Atenas, Costa Rica, bark surface rugosity and water retention capacity of Guazuma ulmifolia and Samanea saman were evaluated. The diversity and similarity indices of epiphytic plants present in each phorophyte were analyzed. Thirty phorophytes, 15 from G. ulmifolia and 15 from Samanea saman, were marked and georeferenced and zoned according to the Johansson zone classification, and subsequently, the species that grow in each zone were inventoried. We registered 447 epiphytes, belonging to 9 families, 21 genera and 35 species. The phorophytes did not show a homogeneous distribution of epiphytes within their strata (stem and canopy) and the distribution of species by Johansson zone is different. Epiphytic species with host specificity were identified. A positive and highly significant correlation was determined between DAP and the abundance of epiphytes in S. saman.