Effects of Hurricane Andrew on epiphyte communities within cypress domes of Everglades National Park
Oberbauer SF, Von Kleist K, Whelan K, Koptur S. 1994. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on epiphyte communities within cypress domes of Everglades National Park. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 75(2):168
Hurricanes have historically been a common disturbance to South Florida forests, and undoubtedly have been an important force in determining plant community structure. The epiphyte community in particular, because of its canopy attachment, should be strongly affected by hurricanes. The passage of Hurricane Andrew on 24 August 1992 across our study sites in cypress domes in Everglades National Park provided a rare opportunity to examine the effects of a major hurricane on the epiphyte community. Epiphyte communities in cypress domes are among the most strongly developed in the Everglades. In this report we document the short-term community responses of epiphytes in three cypress domes to Hurricane Andrew. Overall, losses of adult epiphytes averaged 0.5 plants m-2. However, a very large number of new recruits entering the population following Hurricane Andrew has lead to an overall increase in epiphyte density of 1.6 plants m-2. No changes in species composition were found in our study plots, although different species of bromeliads showed different susceptibility to hurricane-force winds.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Oberbauer, Steven; Von Kleist, Kurt; Whelan, Kevin; Koptur, Suzanne
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- cypress forest, Ecology, Epiphytes, Hurricanes, Impacts