Epiphytes: Difference between revisions
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Evolutionarily, epiphytism has been described as plants with adaptations to canopy conditions taking advantage of empty space <ref name= "hoeber">Hoeber, V. and Zotz, G.. (15 Mar 2022). "Accidental epiphytes: Ecological insights and evolutionary implications." Ecological Monographs. The Ecological Society of America. 92(4): e1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1527.</ref>. Epiphytism and its traits is also thought to have led to rapid diversification in certain plant families. For example, 75 percent of the family Orchidaceae and 59 percent of the family Bromeliaceae are epiphytic <ref name= "taylor">Taylor, A., Zotz G., Weigelt P., Cai L.,Karger D. N., König C., & Kreft H. (2022). Vascular epiphytes contribute disproportionately to global centres of plant diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 62–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13411.</ref>. | Evolutionarily, epiphytism has been described as plants with adaptations to canopy conditions taking advantage of empty space <ref name= "hoeber">Hoeber, V. and Zotz, G.. (15 Mar 2022). "Accidental epiphytes: Ecological insights and evolutionary implications." Ecological Monographs. The Ecological Society of America. 92(4): e1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1527.</ref>. Epiphytism and its traits is also thought to have led to rapid diversification in certain plant families. For example, 75 percent of the family Orchidaceae and 59 percent of the family Bromeliaceae are epiphytic <ref name= "taylor">Taylor, A., Zotz G., Weigelt P., Cai L.,Karger D. N., König C., & Kreft H. (2022). Vascular epiphytes contribute disproportionately to global centres of plant diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 62–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13411.</ref>. | ||
== Common | == Common Vascular Epiphytes == | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 19:52, 27 March 2025
Overview
Epiphytes, specifically vascular epiphytes, are those plants that germinate and take root on other plants. These plants generally exhibit commensal relationships with their host plants, and epiphytes can be both obligate and facultative [1]. Facultative epiphytes are plant species that grow terrestrially and epiphytically approximately the same amount across their distribution. If a species grows epiphytically at least 95 percent of the time, it is considered an obligate epiphyte [2]. Plants that grow on other plants for only a portion of their life cycle are referred to as "hemi-epiphytes" [3]. Additionally "accidental epiphytes" can occur when a plant that does not usually grow epiphytically at any point in its life cycle does [1]. Globally, epiphytes account for approximately 10 percent of all plant diversity. It is estimated that over 24,000 vascular plants are considered to be epiphytes, and these plants are most commonly concentrated in tropical areas, where they provide significant ecosystem services [3].
Ecology and Evolution
Ecologically, epiphytes are opportunistic, and most plants can display epiphytic growth in the correct conditions. Most epiphytes grow in tree crowns. Accidental epiphytes result from a species taking advantage of available resources in a microhabitat. In these cases, a plant species may have a fundamental niche in which it can grow epiphytically but is usually not able to due to competition or lack of resources [2].
Evolutionarily, epiphytism has been described as plants with adaptations to canopy conditions taking advantage of empty space [2]. Epiphytism and its traits is also thought to have led to rapid diversification in certain plant families. For example, 75 percent of the family Orchidaceae and 59 percent of the family Bromeliaceae are epiphytic [5].
Common Vascular Epiphytes
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 Zotz, Gerhard. (12 Nov 2012). "The systematic distribution of vascular epiphytes – a critical update." Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. The Linnean Society of London. 171: 453–481. https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/171/3/453/2416203.
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hoeber, V. and Zotz, G.. (15 Mar 2022). "Accidental epiphytes: Ecological insights and evolutionary implications." Ecological Monographs. The Ecological Society of America. 92(4): e1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1527.
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 3.2 Nieder, J., Prosperi, J., Michaloud, G.. (2001). "Epiphytes and their contribution to canopy diveristy." Plant Ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 153: 51-63. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226617674_Epiphytes_and_their_contribution_to_canopy_diversity.
- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/.
- ↑ Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 Taylor, A., Zotz G., Weigelt P., Cai L.,Karger D. N., König C., & Kreft H. (2022). Vascular epiphytes contribute disproportionately to global centres of plant diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 62–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13411.