Some plants manage to live on top of others without taking any nutrients from them and, consequently, not causing them any harm. These plants, known as epiphytes (epi = above; phyto = plant), stand out for using another vegetable as a support in at least one stage of its life without removing any substance from it.
There are several species of epiphytic plants on the planet. They are found, for the most part, in humid tropical forests, especially Neotropical Forests, being rare in environments with low temperatures. Some authors estimate that 29000 species, about 10% of the total vascular plants, have this life habit, and most of them are angiosperms.
the group of angiosperms which most presents epiphytic plants is the monocots, with emphasis on the family Orchidaceae (orchids) and Bromeliaceae (bromelias). In addition to the angiosperms, the pteridophytes they also have a large number of representatives with epiphytic habits, such as ferns.
Although it does not remove any nutrient from the plant to which it is fixed (phorophyte), an epiphyte species benefits from this relationship. That
ecological relationship, known as commensalism, allows the plant to have more access to light when using the other as support, which increases its photosynthetic rate. In a forest environment, for example, plants close to the ground have little access to light, hence the importance of epiphytism.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
To settle in another vegetable, epiphytic plants present some important morphological, physiological, anatomical and even ecological adaptations.. Among the main adaptations, we can mention aerial roots that absorb water and nutrients, organs, in addition to the leaf, capable of carrying out photosynthesis, presence of tissues that accumulate water (aquiferous tissues), trichomes that help in the capture of water and association with ants - when the plant provides shelter, and the animals, nutrients from the excreta and waste of the anthills.
Epiphytic plants also play an ecological role, they are essential in providing food and water for species that live in the high parts of the forest, in addition to providing material for making nests. These species also act in mineral cycling and primary productivity.
It is important to emphasize that epiphytes, as they are mechanically dependent on trees, are directly affected by the destruction of forest areas. This happens because, when destroying these areas, the plants are subjected to greater radiation and temperature, in addition to a reduction in humidity. Given these characteristics, many authors consider epiphytic plants as bioindicators of forest destruction.
Heads up: Many authors consider the relationship between epiphytic plants and the phorophyte an example of tenantism. Other authors, however, consider tenancy to be a type of commensalism.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Epiphytic plants"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/plantas-epifitas.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
