Ferns and lycophytes represent the second largest epiphytic group of vascular plants. Here we examined herbaria collection and literature to provide an account of epiphytes for Peru’s pteridoflora. We assessed compositional differences related to geography, altitudinal distribution, and vegetation type, along with observations on endemism and conservation. We report in total 521 species of epiphytes, of which 86 are new epiphyte records. These epiphytic ferns and lycophytes represent 35.4% of the total pteridoflora of Peru. We found 32 endemic species among these plants, most of them growing in humid montane forests. We also found regional differences in the composition of this flora, with compositional richness higher in the Eastern Andean slopes, followed by the Lowlands of the Amazon basin. Populations of epiphytic ferns and lycophytes are mostly known from protected areas (82% of all epiphytes), and most of them were recorded from 10 National Parks, whereas 97 species of which 15 are endemics occur in non-protected areas. There are still many challenges for those interested in epiphytism. These challenges include the correct use of the term epiphyte and habit details, incorporating the gametophytic phase of the life cycle of these plants, the biology of interactions, genetics and population studies. All are challenges associated with the continued need to address geographical gaps in knowledge of the epiphytic flora outside of protected sites, and in regions threatened by land-use and landscape changes.
León et al. (Sat,) studied this question.