An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phorophytes. Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur, like any other organism. They are an important source of food for many species. Typically, the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively. An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont.[1] Epiphytes are usually found in the temperate zone (e.g., many mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae) or in the tropics (e.g., many ferns, cacti, orchids, and bromeliads).[2] Epiphyte species make good houseplants due to their minimal water and soil requirements.[3] Epiphytes provide a rich and diverse habitat for other organisms including animals, fungi, bacteria, and myxomycetes.[4]
Epiphyte is one of the subdivisions of the Raunkiær system. The term epiphytic derives from the Greek epi- (meaning 'upon') and phyton (meaning 'plant'). Epiphytic plants are sometimes called "air plants" because they do not root in soil. However, there are many aquatic species of algae that are epiphytes on other aquatic plants (seaweeds or aquatic angiosperms).
The best-known epiphytic plants include mosses, orchids, and bromeliads such as Spanish moss (of the genus Tillandsia), but epiphytes may be found in every major group of the plant kingdom. 89% of terrestrial epiphyte species (about 24,000) are flowering plants. The second largest group are the leptosporangiate ferns, with about 2800 species (10% of epiphytes). In fact, about one third of all ferns are epiphytes.[5] The third largest group is clubmosses, with 190 species, followed by a handful of species in each of the spikemosses, other ferns, Gnetales, and cycads.[6]
The first important monograph on epiphytic plant ecology was written by A. F. W. Schimper (Die epiphytische Vegetation Amerikas, 1888). Assemblages of large epiphytes occur most abundantly in moist tropical forests, but mosses and lichens occur as epiphytes in almost all biomes. In Europe there are no dedicated epiphytic plants using roots, but rich assemblages of mosses and lichens grow on trees in damp areas (mainly the western coastal fringe), and the common polypody fern grows epiphytically along branches. Rarely, grass, small bushes or small trees may grow in suspended soils up trees (typically in a rot-hole).
Terrestrial epiphytes
Epiphytes can grow on the trunks of trees or sometimes in the canopy of a tree
An epiphytic orchid on a tree in a Brazilian cloud forest
Epiphytes however, can generally be categorized into holo-epiphytes or hemi-epiphytes. A holo-epiphyte is a plant that spends its whole life cycle without contact with the ground and a hemi-epiphyte is a plant that spends only half of its life without the ground before the roots can reach or make contact with the ground.[7]Orchids are a common example of holo-epiphytes and Strangler Figs are an example of hemi-epiphytes.
Plant nutrient relations
Epiphytes are not connected to the soil, and consequently must get nutrients from other sources, such as fog, dew, rain and mist,[8] or from nutrients being released from the ground rooted plants by decomposition or leaching, and dinitrogen fixation.[8] Epiphytic plants attached to their hosts high in the canopy have an advantage over herbs restricted to the ground where there is less light and herbivores may be more active. Epiphytic plants are also important to certain animals that may live in their water reservoirs, such as some types of frogs and arthropods.
Epiphytes can have a significant effect on the microenvironment of their host, and of ecosystems where they are abundant, as they hold water in the canopy and decrease water input to the soil.[9] Some non-vascular epiphytes such as lichens and mosses are well known for their ability to take up water rapidly.[10] Epiphytes create a significantly cooler and more moist environment in the host plant canopy, potentially greatly reducing water loss by the host through transpiration.
Marine epiphytes
The ecology of epiphytes in marine environments differs from those in terrestrial ecosystems. Epiphytes in marine systems are species of algae, bacteria, fungi, sponges, bryozoans, ascidians, protozoa, crustaceans, molluscs and any other sessile organism that grows on the surface of a plant, typically seagrasses or algae.[11][12] Settlement of epiphytic species is influenced by a number of factors including light, temperature, currents, nutrients, and trophic interactions. Algae are the most common group of epiphytes in marine systems.[12] Photosynthetic epiphytes account for a large amount of the photosynthesis in systems in which they occur.[13] This is typically between 20 and 60% of the total primary production of the ecosystem.[12] They are a general group of organisms and are highly diverse, providing food for a great number of fauna.[13] Snail and nudibranch species are two common grazers of epiphytes.[12] Epiphyte species composition and the amount of epiphytes can be indicative of changes in the environment. Recent increases in epiphyte abundance have been linked to excessive nitrogen put into the environment from farm runoff and storm water. High abundance of epiphytes are considered detrimental to the plants that they grow on often causing damage or death, particularly in seagrasses.[11] This is because too many epiphytes can block access to sunlight or nutrients. Epiphytes in marine systems are known to grow quickly with very fast generation times.[14]
^Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press.
^Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged. (1976). Vol. I, p. 764. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Chicago.
^Dabbs, Amy (19 December 2014). "Epiphytes are easy to grow Houseplants get water from air". Post and Courier. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
^Sydney E. Everhart; Joseph S. Ely; Harold W. Keller (2009). (PDF). Botany. 87 (5): 509–517. doi:10.1139/b09-027. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-26.
^Hogan, C Michael, 2010. Fern. Encyclopedia of Earth. National council for Science and the Environment November 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Washington, DC
^Schuettpelz, Eric (2007), The evolution and diversification of epiphytic ferns(PDF), Duke University PhD thesis
^Nieder, Jürgen; Prosper´ı, Juliana (2001). "Epiphytes and their contribution to canopy diversity". Plant Ecology. 153: 51–63. doi:10.1023/A:1017517119305. S2CID 37082364.[permanent dead link]
^ abZotz, Gerhard; Hietz, Peter (November 2001). "The physiological ecology of vascular epiphytes: current knowledge, open questions". Journal of Experimental Botany. 52 (364): 2067–2078. doi:10.1093/jexbot/52.364.2067. PMID 11604445. S2CID 22635086.
^Stanton, D.E.; Chávez, J.H.; Villegas, L.; Villasante, F.; Armesto, J.; Hedin, L.O.; Horn, H. (2014). "Epiphytes Improve Host Plant Water Use by Microenvironment Modification". Functional Ecology. 28 (5): 1274–1283. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12249.
^Johansson, Dick (1974). "ECOLOGY OF VASCULAR EPIPHYTES IN WEST AFRICAN RAIN FOREST" (PDF). Acta Phytogeographica Suecica. 59.
^ ab"Marine Plants / Algae - Biscayne National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
^(PDF). NOAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
External links
Epiphytes on a Scot's Pine in Gorbie Glen, Scotland
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March 28, 2023
epiphyte, epiphyte, organism, that, grows, surface, plant, derives, moisture, nutrients, from, rain, water, marine, environments, from, debris, accumulating, around, plants, which, epiphytes, grow, called, phorophytes, take, part, nutrient, cycles, both, diver. An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air rain water in marine environments or from debris accumulating around it The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phorophytes Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur like any other organism They are an important source of food for many species Typically the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont 1 Epiphytes are usually found in the temperate zone e g many mosses liverworts lichens and algae or in the tropics e g many ferns cacti orchids and bromeliads 2 Epiphyte species make good houseplants due to their minimal water and soil requirements 3 Epiphytes provide a rich and diverse habitat for other organisms including animals fungi bacteria and myxomycetes 4 Tillandsia bourgaei growing on an oak tree in Mexico Epiphyte is one of the subdivisions of the Raunkiaer system The term epiphytic derives from the Greek epi meaning upon and phyton meaning plant Epiphytic plants are sometimes called air plants because they do not root in soil However there are many aquatic species of algae that are epiphytes on other aquatic plants seaweeds or aquatic angiosperms Contents 1 Terrestrial epiphytes 1 1 Holo epiphyte or hemi epiphyte 1 2 Plant nutrient relations 2 Marine epiphytes 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksTerrestrial epiphytes EditThe best known epiphytic plants include mosses orchids and bromeliads such as Spanish moss of the genus Tillandsia but epiphytes may be found in every major group of the plant kingdom 89 of terrestrial epiphyte species about 24 000 are flowering plants The second largest group are the leptosporangiate ferns with about 2800 species 10 of epiphytes In fact about one third of all ferns are epiphytes 5 The third largest group is clubmosses with 190 species followed by a handful of species in each of the spikemosses other ferns Gnetales and cycads 6 The first important monograph on epiphytic plant ecology was written by A F W Schimper Die epiphytische Vegetation Amerikas 1888 Assemblages of large epiphytes occur most abundantly in moist tropical forests but mosses and lichens occur as epiphytes in almost all biomes In Europe there are no dedicated epiphytic plants using roots but rich assemblages of mosses and lichens grow on trees in damp areas mainly the western coastal fringe and the common polypody fern grows epiphytically along branches Rarely grass small bushes or small trees may grow in suspended soils up trees typically in a rot hole Terrestrial epiphytes Epiphytes can grow on the trunks of trees or sometimes in the canopy of a tree An epiphytic orchid on a tree in a Brazilian cloud forest Clinging root of an orchid Holo epiphyte or hemi epiphyte Edit Epiphytes however can generally be categorized into holo epiphytes or hemi epiphytes A holo epiphyte is a plant that spends its whole life cycle without contact with the ground and a hemi epiphyte is a plant that spends only half of its life without the ground before the roots can reach or make contact with the ground 7 Orchids are a common example of holo epiphytes and Strangler Figs are an example of hemi epiphytes Plant nutrient relations Edit Epiphytes are not connected to the soil and consequently must get nutrients from other sources such as fog dew rain and mist 8 or from nutrients being released from the ground rooted plants by decomposition or leaching and dinitrogen fixation 8 Epiphytic plants attached to their hosts high in the canopy have an advantage over herbs restricted to the ground where there is less light and herbivores may be more active Epiphytic plants are also important to certain animals that may live in their water reservoirs such as some types of frogs and arthropods Epiphytes can have a significant effect on the microenvironment of their host and of ecosystems where they are abundant as they hold water in the canopy and decrease water input to the soil 9 Some non vascular epiphytes such as lichens and mosses are well known for their ability to take up water rapidly 10 Epiphytes create a significantly cooler and more moist environment in the host plant canopy potentially greatly reducing water loss by the host through transpiration Marine epiphytes EditThe ecology of epiphytes in marine environments differs from those in terrestrial ecosystems Epiphytes in marine systems are species of algae bacteria fungi sponges bryozoans ascidians protozoa crustaceans molluscs and any other sessile organism that grows on the surface of a plant typically seagrasses or algae 11 12 Settlement of epiphytic species is influenced by a number of factors including light temperature currents nutrients and trophic interactions Algae are the most common group of epiphytes in marine systems 12 Photosynthetic epiphytes account for a large amount of the photosynthesis in systems in which they occur 13 This is typically between 20 and 60 of the total primary production of the ecosystem 12 They are a general group of organisms and are highly diverse providing food for a great number of fauna 13 Snail and nudibranch species are two common grazers of epiphytes 12 Epiphyte species composition and the amount of epiphytes can be indicative of changes in the environment Recent increases in epiphyte abundance have been linked to excessive nitrogen put into the environment from farm runoff and storm water High abundance of epiphytes are considered detrimental to the plants that they grow on often causing damage or death particularly in seagrasses 11 This is because too many epiphytes can block access to sunlight or nutrients Epiphytes in marine systems are known to grow quickly with very fast generation times 14 Marine epiphytes Heavy epiphyte growth on kelp stipe Notheia anomala growing on Hormosira banksii Epiphytic Calothrixcyanobacteria arrows in symbiosis with a Chaetoceros diatom scale bar 50 mm Cross section of a Durvillaea antarctica frond showing Pyrophyllon subtumens growing on the outer surfaceSee also EditTillandsia a genus of the Bromeliaceae Epiphyllum a genus of epiphytic cacti Parasitic plant Epilith an organism that grows in a rock Epiphytic bacteria Epiphytic fungus Canopy soilsReferences Edit Hickey M King C 2001 The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms Cambridge University Press Webster s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged 1976 Vol I p 764 Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc Chicago Dabbs Amy 19 December 2014 Epiphytes are easy to grow Houseplants get water from air Post and Courier Retrieved 15 December 2016 Sydney E Everhart Joseph S Ely Harold W Keller 2009 Evaluation of tree canopy epiphytes and bark characteristics associated with the presence of corticolous myxomycetes PDF Botany 87 5 509 517 doi 10 1139 b09 027 Archived from the original PDF on 2013 09 26 Hogan C Michael 2010 Fern Encyclopedia of Earth National council for Science and the Environment Archived November 9 2011 at the Wayback Machine Washington DC Schuettpelz Eric 2007 The evolution and diversification of epiphytic ferns PDF Duke University PhD thesis Nieder Jurgen Prosper i Juliana 2001 Epiphytes and their contribution to canopy diversity Plant Ecology 153 51 63 doi 10 1023 A 1017517119305 S2CID 37082364 permanent dead link a b Zotz Gerhard Hietz Peter November 2001 The physiological ecology of vascular epiphytes current knowledge open questions Journal of Experimental Botany 52 364 2067 2078 doi 10 1093 jexbot 52 364 2067 PMID 11604445 S2CID 22635086 Stanton D E Chavez J H Villegas L Villasante F Armesto J Hedin L O Horn H 2014 Epiphytes Improve Host Plant Water Use by Microenvironment Modification Functional Ecology 28 5 1274 1283 doi 10 1111 1365 2435 12249 Johansson Dick 1974 ECOLOGY OF VASCULAR EPIPHYTES IN WEST AFRICAN RAIN FOREST PDF Acta Phytogeographica Suecica 59 a b MV Commission PDF a b c d www SeagrassLI org Cornell Cooperative Extension Eelgrass Restoration www seagrassli org Retrieved 2017 06 26 a b Marine Plants Algae Biscayne National Park U S National Park Service www nps gov Retrieved 2017 06 26 An Assessment of Coastal Hypoxia and Eutrophication in U S Waters PDF NOAA Archived from the original PDF on 2017 05 07 Retrieved 2017 06 26 External links EditEpiphytes on a Scot s Pine in Gorbie Glen Scotland Wikimedia Commons has media related to Epiphytes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Epiphyte amp oldid 1139078520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
