Selective logging of trees in Western Ghats impacts epiphyte community

New study finds increase in abundance and diversity in areas that were selectively logged 40 years ago

Forest canopies, dubbed as the last biological frontier, house vascular epiphytes, which form a rich assemblage of plants within the forest canopy. Described as plants that grow on other plants and are devoid of any connection to the soil, epiphytes are said to sustain diverse taxa apart from fulfilling critical ecological functions.

Vascular epiphytes are particularly sensitive to perturbations of microclimate and microhabitat within the canopy, especially from changes such as logging. Selective logging of trees in the Western Ghats profoundly impacts the epiphyte community and the effects continue to persist even 40 years after logging activities were stopped, finds a new study published recently in the journal Frontiers for Forests and Global Change.