Vascular epiphytes on woody Fabaceae in the Argentine Yungas forests

MARTÍNEZ, O.G.; COSTAS, M.L.; JAIMEZ, D.; PRADO, D.E.

Johannesburgo

Congreso; 6th International Legume Conference; 2013

University of Johannesburg

The phytogeographical Yungas Province extends on the eastern Andean slopes in the northwestern Argentina, covering about 200.000 km2. Some of these forests, particularly the piedmont seasonally dry forests (SDTF) and adjacent savannas, are dominated by woody Fabaceae species such as Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, Chloroleucon tenuiflorum, Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Erythrina dominguezii, E. falcata, Tipuana tipu. In small restricted areas within the expanse of the SDTF the exotic Gleditsia triacanthos is naturalized as well. The epiphyte flora diversity dwelling on these seven Fabaceae trees was surveyed, totaling around 100 phorophytes. Data recorded for each phorophyte were: tree species, dbh and estimated height; epiphyte flora, position on the tree (trunk, fork, inner crown, outer crown), estimated density for every species. The main holo-epiphyte diversity registered consisted of Ferns & Lycophytes (18 species, 12 and 6 respectively), Bromeliaceae (14), Piperaceae (4), Cactaceae (3), etc. Among the most frequent facultative or occasional epiphytes are mentioned: Cactaceae, Papaveraceae, Amaranthaceae, Caricaceae. The diversity and density of the epiphytic community apparently fluctuate according to latitude, forest age and seasonality, species and age of the phorophyte, bark features, canopy coverage.