Quem planta café, colhe epífitas? Composição e estrutura da comunidade de epífitas vasculares em um cafezal abandonado

Abstract

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants (phorophytes) without parasitizing them and without contact with the soil during at least part of their life cycle. In the Atlantic Forest domain, they comprise approximately 15% of the vascular flora, highlighting their ecological importance. This study assessed the composition and structure of vascular epiphytes in an abandoned coffee plantation and compared it with an adjacent fragment of semideciduous seasonal forest. We tested the hypothesis that the epiphytic community in the plantation represents a subset of the forest community, composed of species tolerant to limiting environmental filters. The study was conducted in Bom Jardim de Minas (MG), Brazil, over an area of approximately 1000 m², with 60 phorophytes sampled. We calculated abundance, absolute and relative frequency, Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H'), and Pielou’s evenness index (J'). Beta diversity (Whittaker index) and community similarity (ANOSIM) were used to compare both sites. Dispersal syndromes were also identified to understand the main mechanisms of colonization in the area. A total of 2644 individuals and 13 species from three families (Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, and Polypodiaceae) were recorded. Tillandsia recurvata was the most abundant and frequent species, while Microgramma squamulosa, although less abundant (<5%), was present on 85% of phorophytes. Diversity and evenness were low (H' = 1.42; J' = 0.56), and 90% of species were anemochorous. Only six species were shared between areas, with high dissimilarity (0.75), and ANOSIM confirmed significant differences between communities (p = 0.0001; R = 0.2372). Despite its reduced diversity, the abandoned coffee plantation harbors a distinct floristic composition dominated by stress-tolerant species, indicating that such modified environments can function as refuges. However, the limited richness and ecological functionality underscore the importance of conserving and restoring natural forest remnants.