Dimerandra emarginata: The Rare Case of a Well-Studied Tropical Epiphyte Species

Dimerandra emarginata is perhaps the most common epiphytic orchid on Barro Colorado Island. This species has been the subject of almost 30 publications, covering diverse biological aspects from functional morphology to demography, which may make it the best-studied epiphytic orchid in the Neotropics. The accumulated body of data for a single species enables conclusions across levels of integration, including a physiological understanding of demographic processes. In addition to autecological work, studies also have investigated the role of D. emarginata as a secondary foundation species for canopy-dwelling arthropods.