VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF EPIPHYTIC AND HEMIEPIPHYTIC ARACEAE IN A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST IN CHOCO, COLOMBIA

摘要

To determine if different habitat preferences and habitat segregations exist among epiphytic and hemiepiphytic Araceae, we recorded the heights above the ground among adult Araceae at Cabo Corrientes, Colombia. A differential vertical distribution wasfound among the aroid genera, the subgenera of Anthurium and Philodendron, and the species when analyzed independently. Distribution along the vertical gradient appears to be related to growth forms and morpho-physiological adaptations to the canopy environment, such as litter-trap growth, thick cuticles, and ramification type. Our results indicate that despite the importance that stochastic processes could have in maintaining species-rich assemblages in tropical forest, habitat differentiation also isdetectable and appears to be playing a role in determining the high species richness of Araceae in the forest of the Pacific coast of Colombia.