Comparing vascular epiphyte diversity hosted by the native Cedrela dugesii and the exotic Annona cherimola species in a cloud forest in central Mexico

Abstract Exotic species can significantly affect native species communities. However, there is a lack of studies comparing the communities of vascular epiphytes and their vertical stratification on native and exotic phorophytes coexisting within natural ecosystems. This study compares these aspects between the native phorophyte Cedrela dugesii and the exotic Annona cherimola within a fragment of cloud forest in central Mexico. We recorded all the epiphyte species present on every individual of e