Vascular epiphytes were traditionally studied in pristine forests, and few studies were performed to understand their colonization in secondary forests, particularly in subtropical areas. Many secondary forests are invaded by exotic tree species that threaten biodiversity, and the impact of invaders on epiphytes remains unknown. The structure, diversity and composition of epiphytes were analyzed along a successional gradient of native forests in a subtropical montane area of Tucuman, Argentina. Changes in epiphyte communities were also analyzed along density gradients of the exotic invaders Ligustrum lucidum and Morus alba in secondary forests. The epiphyte communities of trees with a diameter ≥10 cm were surveyed in 20 × 20 m quadrats in a successional gradient (30-y and 60-y secondary forests, and mature forests) and in 30–45-y secondary forests with different densities of the invaders. In the successional gradient, increasing cover and number of records of epiphytes (i.e. the sum of epiphytes records on all trees) were explained by the pooled basal area of trees, and older patches (60-y secondary forests and mature forests) had higher epiphyte species richness. Epiphyte species richness and the percentage of trees colonized by epiphytes decreased steadily towards higher densities of Ligustrum lucidum and Morus alba in 30–45-y secondary forests. Vascular epiphyte communities were impoverished in secondary forests dominated by Ligustrum lucidum or Morus alba possibly because they represent low quality habitats for these plants. The patterns emerged in this study showed the importance of secondary forests dominated by native trees for epiphyte diversity conservation, and the necessity to control the invasion of exotic tree species.

传统上在原始森林中研究了血管附生植物，很少进行研究来了解它们在次生森林中的定殖，特别是在亚热带地区。许多次生林受到威胁生物多样性的外来树种的入侵，入侵者对附生植物的影响仍然未知。沿阿根廷图库曼亚热带山地地区原生森林的连续梯度分析了附生植物的结构，多样性和组成。还分析了外来入侵者女贞和白桑的密度梯度上附生植物群落的变化。在次生森林中。对直径≥10cm的树木的附生植物群落进行了调查，以连续梯度（30年和60年的次生林和成年森林）和30-45年的不同密度的次生林在20×20 m的四方方中进行了调查。侵略者。在演替梯度中，附生树的基础面积解释了附生植物的覆盖率和记录数量的增加（即所有树上附生植物记录的总和），而较旧的斑块（60年生次生林和成熟森林）具有较高的附生植物物种丰富度。附生植物物种丰富度和附生植物定植的树木比例随着女贞和白桑的密度的增加而稳步下降。在30-45岁的次生林中 在以女贞子或白桑为主的次生森林中，维管附生植物群落贫瘠，这可能是因为它们代表了这些植物的劣质生境。这项研究中出现的模式表明，以原生树为主的次生林对于保护附生植物多样性具有重要意义，并有必要控制外来树种的入侵。