73 research outputs found
EpIGâDB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics
Vascular epiphytes are a diverse and conspicuous component of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical forests. Yet, the patterns and drivers of epiphyte assemblages are poorly studied in comparison with soilârooted plants. Current knowledge about diversity patterns of epiphytes mainly stems from local studies or floristic inventories, but this information has not yet been integrated to allow a better understanding of largeâscale distribution patterns. EpIGâDB, the first database on epiphyte assemblages at the continental scale, resulted from an exhaustive compilation of published and unpublished inventory data from the Neotropics. The current version of EpIGâDB consists of 463,196 individual epiphytes from 3,005 species, which were collected from a total of 18,148 relevĂ©s (host trees and âunderstoryâ plots). EpIGâDB reports the occurrence of âtrueâ epiphytes, hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines, including information on their cover, abundance, frequency and biomass. Most records (97%) correspond to sampled host trees, 76% of them aggregated in forest plots. The data is stored in a TURBOVEG database using the most upâtoâdate checklist of vascular epiphytes. A total of 18 additional fields were created for the standardization of associated data commonly used in epiphyte ecology (e.g. by considering different sampling methods). EpIGâDB currently covers six major biomes across the whole latitudinal range of epiphytes in the Neotropics but welcomes data globally. This novel database provides, for the first time, unique biodiversity data on epiphytes for the Neotropics and unified guidelines for future collection of epiphyte data. EpIGâDB will allow exploration of new ways to study the community ecology and biogeography of vascular epiphytes
Flora fanerogĂąmica da Serra Negra, Minas Gerais, Brasil
O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a flora fanerogĂąmica da regiĂŁo da Serra Negra localizada no sul da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, entre os municĂpios de Lima Duarte, Rio Preto, Santa BĂĄrbara do Monte Verde e Olaria. Embora considerada de importĂąncia biolĂłgica alta, esta regiĂŁo nĂŁo possui nenhum registro anterior de dados florĂsticos, o que levou ao desenvolvimento deste levantamento, durante o perĂodo de 2003 a 2010. A vegetação Ă© caracterizada por um mosaico de formaçÔes florestais e campestres onde se destacam os campos rupestres e florestas nebulares em altitudes que variam de 1300 a ca. 1700 m. Um total de 1033 espĂ©cies foi encontrado, distribuĂdas em 469 gĂȘneros e 121 famĂlias sendo as mais representativas Orchidaceae (115 spp.), Asteraceae 54 spp.), Melastomataceae (56 spp.), Myrtaceae (53 spp.), Fabaceae, Poaceae e Rubiaceae (48 spp. cada), Bromeliaceae (43 spp.), Solanaceae (38 spp.) e Piperaceae (33 spp). Novos registros e endemismos para a flora mineira foram encontrados e 58 espĂ©cies estĂŁo citadas na lista de espĂ©cies ameaçadas de Minas Gerais
The global abundance of tree palms
Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., â„10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to coâoccurring nonâpalm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of longâterm climate stability. Lifeâform diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many nonâtree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of aboveâground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests
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