Vascular epiphytic component of “Brejo de altitude” in northeastern Brazil: floristic composition and phytosociological structure

The Brazilian Northeastern Brejos is an important area of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest. However, little is known about the species composition of epiphytes in this type of vegetation. The present study aims to characterize the floristic and phytosociological structure of vascular epiphytic components in an area of the Brazilian Northeastern Brejo. All epiphytes occurring in the area were collected and compared with other studies through NMDS analysis. For the epiphyte phytosociological structure, sixty 10 × 10 m sampling plots were installed. The floristic survey of epiphytes recorded 23 species, distributed in 19 genera and ten families. In plots, 65 host individuals were sampled, and the occurrence of 197 vascular epiphytes, distributed in 12 species, 12 genera and five families was recorded. The floristic composition differs from other areas of the Atlantic Forest, including the northeast, making the Brejo a very peculiar area and with the utmost need of a plan for the conservation of these species.