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Effects of habitat fragmentation on the diversity of epiphytic orchids from a montane forest of southern Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2014

Ezequiel Hernández-Pérez  and
Eloy Solano
Ezequiel Hernández-Pérez*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Unidad de Investigación en Sistemática Vegetal y Suelo, Batalla 5 de mayo S/N Col., Ejército de Oriente, Iztapalapa, México, Distrito Federal, C. P. 09230, México
Eloy Solano
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Unidad de Investigación en Sistemática Vegetal y Suelo, Batalla 5 de mayo S/N Col., Ejército de Oriente, Iztapalapa, México, Distrito Federal, C. P. 09230, México
*
1Corresponding author. Email: ezequiel_h_p@hotmail.com
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Abstract:

Epiphytic orchids are very diverse in montane forests, but fragmentation modifies this diversity. Twenty fragments were quantified to evaluate the effects of fragmentation on the alpha and beta diversities of epiphytic orchids in a montane forest located in southern Mexico. The following factors were evaluated: area, core area, shape, edge density, Euclidean nearest-neighbour distance fragment and contrast index. In each fragment, two transects of 2 × 50 m were drawn, and the trees with a diameter at breast height ≥ 20 cm were recorded. In each tree, the orchid species present were identified and quantified. Twenty-three species of epiphytic orchid in 234 phorophytes corresponding to 20 species were recorded. The epiphytic orchid richness per tree and species turnover was different between the phorophytes. The edge density and the contrast index had significant effects on the alpha diversity, while the isolation of the fragments significantly affected the beta diversity. The edge density positively affected the alpha diversity of the epiphytic orchids, likely through microclimatic changes caused by fragmentation. Drought-tolerant species were common on the edges of the fragments, and shade-tolerant species established on the core area of the fragments. This pattern most likely depends on the ecological range of the taxa, which is crucial to their development and persistence in fragmented habitats.

Keywords

alpha diversitybeta diversityforest patchesfragmentation indexphorophytes
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , March 2015 , pp. 103 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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