(Distribution of the community of vascular epiphytes in sites under different degrees of disturbance in the Ipanema National Forest, São Paulo, Brazil). Despite the importance of vascular epiphytes to indicate the degree of local conservation, there is little research on this subject. The present research was performed in the Ipanema National Forest, Iperó, São Paulo, Brazil, aiming to characterize the vascular epiphytic community, to analyze their vertical distribution and to analyze the correlation among different sites. Three sites were considered: RIA - remnant isolated/modified, FAB - advanced forest/border, and FAI - advanced forest/inside. On each site 90 assorted trees (DBH ³ 20 cm) were sampled. Frequency, abundance and diversity parameters based on the occurrence of epiphytes in the strata and in the assorted trees were estimated. In the present survey 21 species belonging to 14 genera and six families were found. The Shannon index of diversity (H') for the whole epiphytic community was 2.272, the equability (J) = 0.713 and Margalef's richness (d) = 2.467. The richness and diversity of sites were: 18 species, H' = 2.159, J = 0.747 and d = 2.180 for the RIA site, seven species, H' = 1.270, J = 0.652 and d = 1.017 for the FAB site, and 13 species, H' = 1.587, J = 0.618 and d = 1.919 for the FAI site. Although there are significant differences among RIA to FAB and FAI, there is no difference between FAB and FAI. This research highlights the influence of environmental changes over epiphytic communities and the importance of disturbed forest remnants or even isolated trees to sustain the vascular epiphytes.
Atlantic Forest; environmental change; phytosociology of epiphytes
