In his lectures my teacher Karl Mägdefrau used to say that one only becomes a real plant scientist when one enters a tropical rainforest. For me this initiation occurred in 1969 in northern Queensland, Australia, and was associated with the greatest excitement. On another level it received confirmation when I set out in 1983 together with some friends and colleagues for the first detailed ecophysiological studies of epiphytes in the wet tropics in situ in the island of Trinidad and later for similar work in Venezuela. This then promoted the idea of organizing a special symposium on "The evolution and ecophysiology of vascular plants as epiphytes" during the XIV International Botanical Congress in luly 1987 in Berlin, and to ask some of the speakers to produce chapters for a small monograph on the interesting ecologically defined group of plants "epiphytes" as presented in this volume of "Ecological Studies". The enthusiasm of the participants of the symposium giving reports and adding to the discussion was most stimulating, and it appears that epiphytes might gain well-deserved, wider consideration in the future. The cooperation with the authors of this book was very pleasant and I appreciated the new contacts established with adepts of the "epiphyte community". The chapters were organized and arranged covering first more gen eral aspects with setting the scene in Chapter 1, the evolution of epi phytism in Chapter 2 and the role of CO -concentrating mechanisms in 2 Chapter 3.

Autorentext
Until 2004 Ulrich Lüttge taught at the Institute for Botany at the TU Darmstadt. He is an experienced teacher and is concerned with membrane physiology and biochemistry, circadian rhythms among photosynthesis processes as well as the antioxidative defense system of plants

Klappentext

Vascular Plants as Epiphytes have not been treated comprehensively in the recent literature. Yet they constitute an important ecophysiologically defined group, since vascular epiphytes make up a high proportion of species and biomass in tropical rain forests. They show ecological adaptations ranging from morphological traits to special physiological responses and metabolic reactions, such as the crassulacean acid metabolism. In view of their variability and ecological relevance the present book was composed, which treats evolution and ecophysiology both in general and in specific terms, discussing phylogenetic trends, metabolic reactions in carbon acquisition, mineral nutrition and interactions with plants, and presenting case histories for plant taxa which are particularly rich in epiphytes, viz. ferns, bromeliads and orchids. A final chapter gives a taxonomic survey of vascular epiphytes.

Inhalt
1 Vascular Epiphytes: Setting the Scene.- 1.1 The Conquest of Space.- 1.2 Life-Forms.- 1.3 Importance: Biomass Production, Taxonomic Diversity, Economic Use.- 1.4 Stress.- 1.5 Interactions with Other Non-Host Organisms.- 1.6 Curiosity.- References.- 2 The Evolution of Epiphytism.- 2.1 Ancestral Habitats: Dark and Moist or Exposed and Dry?.- 2.2 The Geologic Record of Epiphytism.- 2.3 The Systematic Occurrence of Epiphytes.- 2.4 Epiphytism as a Coherent Ecological Category.- 2.5 Classification of Epiphytes.- 2.6 Continuously-Supplied Versus Pulse-Supplied Epiphytes . ..- 2.7 Patterns of Origin.- 2.8 Predisposition and Phylogenetic Constraints.- 2.9 Historical Basis for Canopy Dependence.- References.- 3 Carbon Dioxide Concentrating Mechanisms and the Evolution of CAM in Vascular Epiphytes.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Evolution and Characteristics of Biochemical and Biophysical C02 Concentrating Mechanisms.- 3.3 Ecophysiological Interactions in the Development of C02 Concentrating Mechanisms.- 3.4 Phylogenetic Distribution of CAM in Vascular Epiphytes.- 3.5 Regulation and Expression of CAM in Vascular Epiphytes ..- 3.6 Cost-Benefit Relationships of C02 Concentrating Mechanisms.- 3.7 Evolution of CAM and the Epiphytic Habit: Conclusions.- References.- 4 Gas Exchange and Water Relations in Epiphytic Tropical Ferns.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 The Ecophysiological Problem.- 4.3 Nest Ferns.- 4.4 Xeromorphic Ferns.- 4.5 Water Use Efficiency of Epiphytic Ferns.- 4.6 Conclusions.- References.- 5 Epiphytic Bromeliads.- 5.1 Ecological Range and Diversity of the Bromeliaceae.- 5.2 Bromeliad Systematics and Life-Forms.- 5.3 Carbon Assimilation.- 6 Gas Exchange and Water Relations in Epiphytic Orchids.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Terrestrial and Epiphytic Orchids.- 6.3 Growth Habit.- 6.4 The Epiphytic Habitat of Orchids.- 6.5 Gas Exchange Patterns as Related to Succulence in Epiphytic Orchids.- 6.6 In Situ Studies of CAM in Epiphytic Orchids.- 6.7 Light Requirements.- 6.8 Water Relations in Epiphytic Orchids.- 6.9 The Physiology of Aerial Roots.- 6.10 The Evolution of Epiphytism in Orchids.- References.- 7 The Mineral Nutrition of Epiphytes.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Nutrient Sources in Forest Canopies.- 7.3 Nutritional Modes.- 7.4 Does Scarcity of Nutrient Ions Limit Epiphyte Vigor?.- 7.5 Effects on Forest Economy.- 7.6 Conclusions and Outlook.- References.- 8 Epiphytic Associations with Ants.- 8.1 Ubiquity and Sociality of Ants: Diversity of Ant-Epiphyte Relations.- 8.2 Opportunistic Associations of Epiphytes and Ants.- 8.3 Myrmecophytic Epiphytes.- 8.4 Origins of Myrmecophytic Epiphytes.- 8.5 Summary and Conclusions.- References.- 9 The Systematic Distribution of Vascular Epiphytes.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Sources of Compilation and Methods of Classification of Epiphytes.- 9.3 Numbers of Epiphytes and Taxonomic Distribution.- 9.4 Our Knowledge of Epiphytes and Perspectives.- References.