Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest
Abstract Gradual climatic changes caused by mountains’ altitudinal variation promote alterations in the structure of ecological communities. Environmental changes are also expected according to the slope’s position in relation to the sea. In this study, we aimed to compare epiphytic pteridophyte com...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Rodriguésia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2175-78602023000101723&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797404373328855040 |
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| author | Thiago Vieira Costa André Felippe Nunes-Freitas Lana da Silva Sylvestre |
| author_facet | Thiago Vieira Costa André Felippe Nunes-Freitas Lana da Silva Sylvestre |
| author_sort | Thiago Vieira Costa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Gradual climatic changes caused by mountains’ altitudinal variation promote alterations in the structure of ecological communities. Environmental changes are also expected according to the slope’s position in relation to the sea. In this study, we aimed to compare epiphytic pteridophyte communities along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in a section of the Atlantic Forest. We sampled a total of 10 sites in the montane and upper montane zones from the eastern (facing the sea) and western (facing away from the sea) slopes. A total of 1,742 individuals from 62 epiphytic species were recorded. The slopes showed similar epiphytic abundances and richness. Species richness showed a tendency to decrease with an increase in altitude on the western slope, and abundance was higher at intermediate altitudes, with no altitudinal trend in dominance. Conversely, on the eastern slope, there was no clear altitudinal pattern in richness or abundance; however, dominance increased with an increase in altitude from 1,200 to 1,800 m. Species compositions differed among altitudinal zones and between slopes. The eastern slope had lower species richness and no clear altitudinal gradient, although it was better preserved than the western one. Thus, there are differences in the community structure of epiphytic pteridophytes from the forest understory due to altitudinal variation and slope orientation, and these findings corroborate our hypotheses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:54:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51a365a3a50240688797b7d026c21d7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2175-7860 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:54:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rodriguésia |
| spelling | doaj.art-51a365a3a50240688797b7d026c21d7b2023-12-05T07:48:07ZengInstituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de JaneiroRodriguésia2175-78602023-12-017410.1590/2175-7860202374072Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic ForestThiago Vieira Costahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9292-9030André Felippe Nunes-Freitashttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5149-9070Lana da Silva Sylvestrehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0486-0898Abstract Gradual climatic changes caused by mountains’ altitudinal variation promote alterations in the structure of ecological communities. Environmental changes are also expected according to the slope’s position in relation to the sea. In this study, we aimed to compare epiphytic pteridophyte communities along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in a section of the Atlantic Forest. We sampled a total of 10 sites in the montane and upper montane zones from the eastern (facing the sea) and western (facing away from the sea) slopes. A total of 1,742 individuals from 62 epiphytic species were recorded. The slopes showed similar epiphytic abundances and richness. Species richness showed a tendency to decrease with an increase in altitude on the western slope, and abundance was higher at intermediate altitudes, with no altitudinal trend in dominance. Conversely, on the eastern slope, there was no clear altitudinal pattern in richness or abundance; however, dominance increased with an increase in altitude from 1,200 to 1,800 m. Species compositions differed among altitudinal zones and between slopes. The eastern slope had lower species richness and no clear altitudinal gradient, although it was better preserved than the western one. Thus, there are differences in the community structure of epiphytic pteridophytes from the forest understory due to altitudinal variation and slope orientation, and these findings corroborate our hypotheses.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2175-78602023000101723&tlng=enfernsfloristic compositionlycophytesParque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãosspecies abundance |
| spellingShingle | Thiago Vieira Costa André Felippe Nunes-Freitas Lana da Silva Sylvestre Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest Rodriguésia ferns floristic composition lycophytes Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos species abundance |
| title | Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest |
| title_full | Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest |
| title_fullStr | Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest |
| title_short | Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest |
| title_sort | understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the atlantic forest |
| topic | ferns floristic composition lycophytes Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos species abundance |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2175-78602023000101723&tlng=en |
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