Species Richness, Abundance, and Vertical Distribution of Epiphytic Bromeliads in Primary Forest and Disturbed Forest.

Epiphytes represent a key component in tropical forests. They are affected by anthropogenic and natural disturbances suffered by forests, since they depend on their hosts and the microclimatic conditions they generate. We analyzed differences in abundance, species richness, and vertical distributions of epiphytic bromeliads in primary and disturbed forests.

Photoprotection related to xanthophyll cycle pigments in epiphytic orchids acclimated at different light microenvironments in two tropical dry forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Epiphytic orchids from dry forests of Yucatán show considerable photoprotective plasticity during the dry season, which depends on leaf morphology and host tree deciduousness. Nocturnal retention of antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin was detected for the first time in epiphytic orchids. In tropical dry forests, epiphytes experience dramatic changes in light intensity: photosynthetic photon flux density may be up to an order of magnitude higher in the dry season compared to the wet season.