Spatial Structure Of Pleurothallis, Masdevallia,

This document summarizes a study on the spatial distribution of four genera of epiphytic orchids (Pleurothallis, Epidendrum, Lepanthes, and Masdevallia) in a fragment of regenerating montane cloud forest in southern Ecuador. The study found that the distributions of the orchid genera varied with altitude, with Epidendrum and Lepanthes more frequent at lower elevations and Pleurothallis and Masdevallia more abundant at higher elevations. Analysis also showed that Pleurothallis and Epidendrum plants tended to be clumped in distribution while Lepanthes and Masdevallia were randomly distributed, possibly due to differences in seed dispers