Interaction Between Epiphytes and Host Plants: Structure, Pattern and Processes

Dear Colleagues,

Epiphytes are plants germinating and growing on other plants, such as trees, shrubs, palms, and ferns, without parasitizing them. They use these plants as structural support, establishing a commensal interaction. This complex interaction can be described and analyzed as an ecological network, allowing an understanding of interactions between species, community structure, and ecosystem function and stability. Recent studies emphasize the importance of understanding the properties of these interactions, especially in the context of habitat fragmentation and climate change. The loss of a host plant resulting from deforestation directly affects epiphyte diversity and, consequently, ecosystem stability. Furthermore, understanding the processes that influence such interactions is important to understand the dynamics of plant communities and to develop more consolidated and defined conservation strategies. In this Special Issue, we invite and welcome reviews and original research articles that deepen our understanding of how interactions between epiphytes (vascular and avascular) and their host plants are organized, as well as the factors that determine these interactions. We aim to expand knowledge about these interactions in different ecosystems worldwide. Understanding how species interact in epiphyte–host plant networks is of great importance, as it provides an understanding of the factors that generate, maintain, and constrain these interactions.

Dr. Talitha Mayumi Francisco
Dr. Dayvid Rodrigues Couto
Dr. Mario Luís Garbin
Guest Editors

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