Land use effects on epiphytic bryophyte diversity in riparian Andean ecosystems of southern Ecuador

Abstract Land-use change related with anthropogenic activities is considered one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss in tropical montane forests. Riparian zones provide essential ecosystem functions, offers a variety of ecosystem services and contributes to high diversity of different taxa, including bryophytes. We analyzed the richness and composition of epiphytic bryophyte communities in respond to land use intensity in riparian vegetation in southern Ecuador. We selected four land-use intensities (forest, forest-pasture, pasture and urban), where the presence/absence and cover of epiphytic bryophytes was recorded in 10 trees distributed in 12 sites with a total of 120 trees. Generalized Mixed Linear Models (GLMMs), Linear mixed-effect models (LMMs) and multivariate analyses were used to assess changes in the richness, diversity and composition of epiphytic bryophyte communities in different land uses. A total of 44 bryophyte species were recorded, with high richness in forest sites with 40 species, decreasing to 23 species in urban sites and 16 species in forest-pasture and pasture, respectively. The composition of bryophyte communities responded to land use intensity, with marked differences in forest assemblages compared to other land uses. The results confirmed the important role of riparian forests in maintaining drought-sensitive species of bryophytes, for example, species of the Plagiochilaceae family that were the best indicators of forests. Alpha and beta diversity of epiphytic bryophytes can be effectively used as indicators of the effects of land use change on riparian vegetation in tropical regions.