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three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data.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

Distribuição espacial e efeito de borda em briófitas epífitas e epifilas em um remanescente de floresta atlântica nordestina

A composição, riqueza, e diversidade de briófitas epífitas foram estudadas em 15 forófitos de dossel em relação à distância da borda em um fragmento de Floresta Atlântica da Estação Ecológica de Murici, Alagoas (Lat. 09º11 05 09º16 48 S; Long. 35º45 20- 35º55 12 O). O fragmento apresenta 2.628ha e largura máxima de ca. 2.000m. Foram sorteados aleatoriamente em toda extensão do fragmento 15 pontos geográficos distribuídos em cinco faixas de distância (três em cada uma) em função da borda: 0-200m, 201-400m, 401-600m, 601-800m, 801-1100m. Os pontos foram localizados em campo com GPS e, em cada um, foi selecionada uma fanerógama arbórea de dossel. Os forófitos foram escalados utilizando técnicas verticais de ascensão para coleta de uma amostra de briófitas em cada uma das cinco zonas de altura: base, tronco, 1ª ramificação, 2ª ramificação e dossel externo. Os parâmetros brioflorísticos foram comparados entre as zonas de altura nos forófitos e as faixas de distância da borda através de Análise de Variância. Foram registradas 78 espécies, obtendo-se a maior riqueza e diversidade na zona do tronco. Neste inventário estimou-se 75% da representatividade da brioflora do remanescente e determinou-se que um pequeno número de forófitos não foi suficiente para a amostragem de uma real composição florística. Não foi constatada contribuição expressiva do dossel na riqueza, diversidade e na distribuição espacial das briófitas como é recorrente na literatura para Florestas Tropicais Úmidas. O dossel externo apresentou praticamente o mesmo número de espécies da base, o que demonstra que os estratos inferiores têm grande importância para a diversidade local. Não houve diferença significativa dos parâmetros brioflorísiticos entre as zonas e entre as faixas de distância da borda. Esses resultados evidenciam a não estratificação de espécies no gradiente vertical e sugerem que a distância da borda não é suficiente para explicar a distribuição da brioflora local. Este fato evidencia a elevada diversidade beta do local, ou seja, a alta substituição de espécies de um microhabitat para outro, o que é característico de Florestas Tropicais Úmidas. Sendo assim, a própria heterogeneidade ambiental do remanescente pode ser um fator importante da falta de diferenciação do gradiente vertical e entre a borda e o interio

Bryophyte communities of restingas in Northeastern Brazil and their similarity to those of other restingas in the country

ABSTRACT Restingas are a coastal component of the Atlantic Forest. They experience high temperatures and possess soils with a low capacity to retain water, low nutrient content and high salt concentrations. Studies on bryophytes of restingas have been mostly conducted in Southeastern Brazil, and so we aimed to characterize the bryophyte flora of seven areas of restinga in the Northeastern Region and to establish their floristic affinities with other restingas in Brazil. Fifty-five species were found in the studied restingas, the vast majority of which are generalist species with life forms of intermediate tolerance to desiccation and of corticicolous and terrestrial habitat. The number of species per area is low compared to the species richness of other restingas in Brazil. A cluster analysis, although based on low similarity, showed that the bryoflora from the surveyed areas is distinct from those of restingas from Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, which all form a group, and those of the coast of São Paulo, which also comprised a cluster. The heterogeneous climate, soils and vegetation structure of the studied restingas, in comparison those of the Southeast, act as selective filters for the species, thereby contributing to the distinction observed in those communities

On the occurrence of Lejeunea pulverulenta (Marchantiophyta, Lejeuneaceae) in Brazil

Abstract Lejeunea pulverulenta is recorded for the first time to the Northeast of Brazil. The specimen was collected in Serra Bonita, Municipality of Camacan, southern Bahia, Brazil. Herein the species is described and illustrated