The role of edge effect in the epiphyll density on Dieffenbachia longispathe

Abstract. The creation of new edges in neotropical forests have had a variety of impacts on the forest environment and influence many microhabitat traits including light levels, humidity and temperature. Many leaves in the rainforest have a covering of epiphylls. The changes of microhabitats associated with edge have the ability to impact the establishment and growth of epiphylls. I compared the density of epiphyll coverage on Dieffenbachia longispathe at the forest edge and forest interior in a lowland neotropical rainforest in Costa Rica. I controlled for differences in a leaf’s possible exposure time to epiphyll establishment by using the relative age of the leaves on each plant. There was no significant difference in the total epiphyll coverage on the leaves. However, the type of epiphyll could be changing with distance from the edge.