ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Community ecology of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The present study aimed to document the composition, richness, diversity as well as horizontal and vertical distribution of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in a fragment of submontane seasonal semideciduous forest in Minas Gerais State (-21°38'15''S, -43°10'55''W). Three plots (semicircles with a radius of 25 m) were marked and we found 72 phorophytes that harbor 15 species of epiphytic Bromeliaceae, distributed in nine genera. Nidularium azureum (L.B.Sm.) Leme is local endemic, and considered critically endangered. In general, the richness is higher than other larger areas of seasonal semideciduous or even ombrophilous forests. Some differences concerning composition, diversity and richness among the plots were found and must be due to microhabitat conditions. Trunks supported most occurrences (101 out of 246) and Tillandsia stricta Sol. ex Sims had the highest frequency on the phorophytes. The values of H’ = 2.34 and J = 0.87 must be considered similar or even higher than some ombrophilous forests