Epífitas vasculares do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

The Iguaçu National Park (PARNA Iguaçu), Paraná, Brasil, has 185.262,5 hectares of protected área, covers 14 counties in Paraná, with altitude ranging from 100 to 800 metros, has five phytophysiognomies related with Atlantic Forest Biome: Pioneer Formation with Fluvial Influence, Alluvial Seasonal Semideciduous Forest, Submontane Seasonal Semideciduous Forest, Montana Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and transition areas with Mixed Rainforest. Have eigth rivers that flow into Iguaçu and form a rich ecosystem. Despite these data little is known about the biodiversity of the Iguaçu National Park, mainly with regard to botany. In view of the above, this work deals with the survey of the vascular epiphytic species of PARNA Iguaçu, a group that has not been very much studie in this Protect Area. Epiphytes were raised according to thecniques in floristic surveys, with sometimes included technical climbing to the phorophyte. When the material found did not have fertile material it was taken to a greenhouse and cultivated until flowering and fruiting. All the material collected and cultivada was herborizes and added to the collection of the Herbarium of the Federal Techological University of Paraná, Campus Campo Mourão (HCF). We register nineteen families, 60 genera and 105 species. The richest families, in order of importance, was Orchidaceae (41), Polypodiaceae (15) and Bromeliaceae (14). There is an exotic species and two invasive alien species in three different locations. Three species with a vulnerable conservation status occur in three different locations within the Iguaçu National Park (PARNA Iguaçu). Most epiphytic species are native and 93% had biotic dispersion like ornitochoric, and abiotic is above 50% hydrochoric. For biotic pollination syndrome, 43% are entomophilic and abiotic, resulting in 50% anemophilous or hydrophilic. Regarding life forms in the epiphytes, the herb form predominated with 98%. True epiphytes predominated with 49.5%The present work contributes to the knowledge of the epiphytes in this Protect Area and to the flora of Paraná, in addition to being able to be used for the future revision of the management plan of the Iguaçu National Park, prepared by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.