There are still fundamental gaps in our understanding of the functional ecology of epiphytes. What is the importance of CAM? What is the thermal niche of germination? How effective are phytotelms to bridge rainless periods? How plastic is the reaction norm of different species? All this is particularly important in the context of global change – so how susceptible are epiphytes to the expected changes. Such ecophysiological studies connect to the long-term monitoring of communities to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the processes behind the dynamics observed in nature.

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Wagner K, Wanek W & Zotz G. 2021. Functional traits of a rainforest vascular epiphyte community: trait covariation and indications for host specificity. Diversity 13: 97. doi.org/10.3390/d13020097

Paula Oliveira R, Zotz G, Wanek W & Franco A. 2021. Leaf trait co-variation and trade-offs in gallery forest C₃ and CAM epiphytes. Biotropica 53: 520-535. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12895

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Zotz G, Kappert N, Müller L-LB & Wagner K. 2020. Temperature dependence of germination and growth in Anthurium (Araceae). Plant Biology 22: 184-190. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13063