ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non‐vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest
Authors: Ramos Flavio Nunes , Mortara Sara Ribeiro , Monalisa‐Francisco Nathalia , Elias João Pedro Costa , Neto Luiz Menini , Freitas Leandro , Kersten Rodrigo , Amorim André Márcio , Matos Fernando Bittencourt , Nunes‐Freitas André Felippe , Alcantara Suzana , Alexandre Marcia Helena Nagahama , de Almeida‐Scabbia Renata Jimenez , de Almeida Odair José Garcia , Alves Fernanda Eliane , de Oliveira Alves Rogério Marcos , Alvim Francine Seehaber , de Andrade Antônio Carlos Silva , de Andrade Simone , Aona Lidyanne Yuriko Saleme , Araujo Andréa Cardoso , de Araújo Kelianne Carolina Targino , Ariati Vanessa , Assis Julia Camara , de Azevedo Cecília Oliveira , Barbosa Bruno Ferreira , Barbosa Daniel Elias Ferreira , Barbosa Fernando dos Reis , de Barros Fabio , Basilio Geicilaine Alves , Bataghin Fernando Antonio , Bered Fernanda , Bianchi Juliana Santos , Blum Christopher Thomas , Boelter Carlos Renato , Bonnet Annete , Brancalion Pedro Henrique Santin , Breier Tiago Bӧer , Brion Caio de Toledo , Buzatto Cristiano Roberto , Cabral Andressa , Cadorin Tiago João , Caglioni Eder , Canêz Luciana , Cardoso Pedro Henrique , de Carvalho Fábia Silva , Carvalho Renan Gonçalves , Catharino Eduardo Luis Martins , Ceballos Sergio Javier , Cerezini Monise Terra , César Ricardo Gomes , Cestari Cesar , Chaves Cleber Juliano Neves , Citadini‐Zanette Vanilde , Coelho Luiz Francisco Mello , Coffani‐Nunes João Vicente , Colares Renato , Colletta Gabriel Dalla , Corrêa Nadjara de Medeiros , da Costa Andrea Ferreira , da Costa Grênivel Mota , Costa Laís Mara Santana , Costa Natália Gabriela Souza , Couto Dayvid Rodrigues , Cristofolini Caroline , da Cruz Ana Carolina Rodrigues , Del Neri Leopoldo Angelo , di Pasquo Mercedes , dos Santos Dias Aline , Dias Letícia do Carmo Dutra , Dislich Ricardo , Duarte Marília Cristina , Fabricante Juliano Ricardo , Farache Fernando Henrique Antoniolli , de Faria Ana Paula Gelli , Faxina Claudenice , Ferreira Mariana Terrola Martins , Fischer Erich , Fonseca Carlos Roberto , Fontoura Talita , Francisco Talitha Mayumi , Furtado Samyra Gomes , Galetti Mauro , Garbin Mário Luís , de Gasper André Luís , Goetze Márcia , Gomes‐da‐Silva Janaína , Gonçalves Mateus Felipe Araujo , Gonzaga Diego Rafael , Silva Ana Carolina Granero e , Guaraldo André de Camargo , Guarino Ernestino de Souza Gomes , Guislon Aline Votri , Hudson Luigy Bitencourt , Jardim Jomar Gomes , Jungbluth Patricia , Kaeser Selma dos Santos , Kessous Igor Musauer , Koch Natália Mossmann , Kuniyoshi Yoshiko Saito , Labiak Paulo Henrique , Lapate Maria Esther , Santos Ana Carolina Laurenti , Leal Roberta Luísa Barbosa , Leite Felipe Silveira , Leitman Paula , Liboni Ana Paula , Liebsch Dieter , Lingner Débora Vanessa , Lombardi Julio Antonio , Lucas Eve , Luzzi Jhonny dos Reis , Mai Patricia , Mania Luiz Felipe , Mantovani Waldir , Maragni Angelica Guidoni , Marques Marcia Cristina Mendes , Marquez Gonzalo , Martins Cristiane , Martins Laura do Nascimento , Martins Pedro Luiz Sanglard Silva , Mazziero Frederico Fregolente Faracco , Melo Camila de Aguiar , de Melo Maria Margarida Fiuza , Mendes Alex Fernando , Mesacasa Letícia , Morellato Leonor Patricia Cerdeira , Moreno Vanessa de Souza , Muller Adelcio , Murakami Mariana Moreira da Silva , Cecconello Edinete , Nardy Camila , Nervo Michelle Helena , Neves Beatriz , Nogueira Matheus Guimarães Cardoso , Nonato Fabiana Regina , de Oliveira‐Filho Ary Teixeira , de Oliveira César Pedro Lopes , Overbeck Gerhard Ernst , Marcusso Gabriel Mendes , Paciencia Mateus Luís Barradas , Padilha Patricia , Padilha Peterson Teodoro , Pereira Ana Clara Alves , Pereira Luciana Carvalho , Pereira Rodrigo Augusto Santinelo , Pincheira‐Ulbrich Jimmy , Pires José Salatiel Rodrigues , Pizo Marco Aurélio , Pôrto Kátia Cavalcanti , Rattis Ludmila , Reis Joice Rodrigues de Mendonça , Reis Simone Gonçalves dos , da Rocha‐Pessôa Thereza Christina , Rocha Carlos Frederico Duarte , Rocha Fernando Souza , Rodrigues Alba Regina Pereira , Rodrigues Ricardo Ribeiro , Rogalski Juliana Marcia , Rosanelli Roberta Luiza , Rossado Andrés , Rossatto Davi Rodrigo , Rother Débora Cristina , Ruiz‐Miranda Carlos Ramon , Saiter Felipe Zamborlini , Sampaio Mauricio Bonesso , Santana Lucas Deziderio , Santos Juliana Silveira dos , Sartorello Ricardo , Sazima Marlies , Schmitt Juliane Luzía , Schneider Geniane , Schroeder Bruna Grosch , Sevegnani Lucia , Júnior Vasconcelos Oliveira Silva , da Silva Fernando Rodrigues , da Silva Maria Juliana , Silva Mércia Patrícia Pereira , Silva Rafaela Guimarães , Silva Sandro Menezes , Singer Rodrigo Bustos , Siqueira Geovane , Soares Luis Eduardo , de Sousa Hildeberto Caldas , Spielmann Adriano , Tonetti Vinicius Rodrigues , Toniato Maria Teresa Zugliani , Ulguim Paulo Sérgio Bordoni , van den Berg Cássio , van den Berg Eduardo , Varassin Isabela Galarda , da Silva Izabela Bitencourt Veloso , Vibrans Alexander Christian , Waechter Jorge Luiz , Weissenberg Erick Willy , Windisch Paulo Günter , Wolowski Marina , Yañez Agustina , Yoshikawa Vania Nobuko , Zandoná Luciano Ramos , Zanella Camila Martini , Zanin Elisabete Maria , Zappi Daniela Cristina , Zipparro Valesca Bononi , Zorzanelli João Paulo Fernandes , Ribeiro Milton Cezar 
Published: February 2019

Epiphytes are hyper‐diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non‐vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer‐reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non‐vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non‐vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events.