Abstract
Abstract Question: Do vascular epiphyte species have a metapopulation structure? What are the qualitative and quantitative long‐term changes of the complete vascular epiphyte vegetation in a particular host tree species? Location: Lowland forest on Barro Colorado Island (9° 10’ N, 79°51’ W), Republic of Panama. Methods: In 1994 and 2002 we conducted a census of all vascular epiphytes growing on more than 1000 Annona glabra trees (= patches). Epiphyte species abundances were recorded at the tree level in each census. Results: The number of epiphyte individuals increased from ca. 15 000 to ca. 23 700 individuals during the census interval while the species composition on Annona glabra as a whole was rather stable. There was a strong positive relationship between occurrence in patches and local abundance of the species, and between species richness and host tree stand size. The dynamics of local populations of a given species were uncorrelated to each other; small and large local populations of most species had the same probability to go extinct. The frequency distribution of species on all host trees was not bimodal, but on a subset of heavily colonized host tree stands it was. Numbers of species and individuals were correlated with tree size which was not due to a correlation of tree size and tree age. Conclusions: As far as the most abundant epiphyte species with metapopulation structures are concerned, these species belong to diverse families, e. g. Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae and Polypodiaceae . Even ca. 80 years after the initial establishment of the host tree species in the study area epiphytes are still in the stage of initial colonization and have not reached a steady state as indicated by the strong increase in individuals and the ongoing colonization of empty trees.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Epiphyte individuals increased from about 15,000 to 23,700 between censuses.
- Taxon
- Annona glabra
Annona glabrat0 - Interactor
- epiphytee0
- Outcome
- epiphyte individualse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- ca. 15 000 to ca. 23 700 individualse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The number of epiphyte individuals increased from ca. 15 000 to ca. 23 700 individuals during the census interval”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Epiphyte species composition on Annona glabra remained rather stable.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrae0
- Interactor
- epiphytee1
- Outcome
- species compositione0
- Direction
- rather stablee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the species composition on Annona glabra as a whole was rather stable”
e1“The number of epiphyte individuals increased from ca. 15 000 to ca. 23 700 individuals during the census interval”
Claim · model-written summary
Species occurrence in patches was positively related to local abundance.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Interactor
- speciese0
- Outcome
- occurrence in patchese0
- Direction
- positivee0
- Comparator
- local abundancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“strong positive relationship between occurrence in patches and local abundance of the species”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Species richness increased with host tree stand size.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- species richnesse0
- Direction
- higherinferrede0
- Comparator
- host tree stand sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“between species richness and host tree stand size”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Local population dynamics of a species were uncorrelated among populations.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- dynamics of local populationse0
- Direction
- uncorrelatede0
- Comparator
- each othere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The dynamics of local populations of a given species were uncorrelated to each other”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Small and large local populations had the same extinction probability.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- probability to go extincte0
- Direction
- samee0
- Comparator
- small and large local populationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“small and large local populations of most species had the same probability to go extinct”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Species frequency across all host trees was not bimodal.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- frequency distribution of species on all host treese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The frequency distribution of species on all host trees was not bimodal”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Species frequency in heavily colonized host stands was bimodal.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- heavily colonized host tree standse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“on a subset of heavily colonized host tree stands it was”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Species number correlated with tree size.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- Numbers of speciese0
- Direction
- correlatede0
- Qualifier
- not due to a correlation of tree size and tree agee0
- Comparator
- tree sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Numbers of species and individuals were correlated with tree size which was not due to a correlation of tree size and tree age”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Epiphyte individual number correlated with tree size.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Outcome
- individualse0
- Direction
- correlatede0
- Qualifier
- not due to a correlation of tree size and tree agee0
- Comparator
- tree sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Numbers of species and individuals were correlated with tree size which was not due to a correlation of tree size and tree age”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Abundant epiphyte species with metapopulation structures belonged to diverse families.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Interactor
- Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae and PolypodiaceaePolypodiaceaeBromeliaceaeOrchidaceaee0
- Outcome
- diverse familiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these species belong to diverse families, e. g. Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae and Polypodiaceae”
t0“Annona glabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Epiphytes remained in initial colonization about 80 years after host establishment.
- Taxon
- Annona glabraAnnona glabrat0
- Interactor
- epiphytese0
- Outcome
- stage of initial colonizatione0
- Value
- ca. 80 yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Even ca. 80 years after the initial establishment of the host tree species in the study area epiphytes are still in the stage of initial colonization and have not reached a steady state”
t0“Annona glabra”