International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 229-239 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 23 7 In the face of global changes and human interference, epiphytes, as sensitive and delicate factors in ecosystems, have shown signs of decline. Deforestation has destroyed their habitats, and warming climates and extreme weather make it difficult for them to adapt. Air pollution, especially nitrogen deposition, has changed the appearance of epiphytic moss and lichen communities, and problems such as eutrophication and species monotony have emerged. The reduction of epiphytic plants will inevitably lead to the weakening of forest ecosystem functions, which deserves high attention. Based on the understanding of the ecological role of epiphytic plants, practical measures need to be taken in the future to strengthen their protection and restoration. This includes: strictly guarding the primary forests and building ecological corridors to maintain the sources and transmission routes of epiphytic plants; Artificial breeding and reintroduction of endangered epiphytic species, and strengthening local conservation; And macro efforts such as comprehensive governance of air pollution and mitigation of global warming. Epiphytes, though located on high branches, are closely related to the entire forest and human beings: they are the indicator lights of forest health, the reservoir of biodiversity, and one of the invisible pillars of ecological functions. Strengthening the research and protection of epiphytes can not only save many strange and beautiful species, but also is crucial for maintaining the ecological balance of forests and enhancing the ability to respond to global changes. Looking ahead, it is necessary to unite the efforts of all parties to incorporate epiphytes into the scope and policies of forest protection. Under the guidance of science, through community participation and public education, the concept of comprehensively protecting all life in the forest "above and below ground, above and under trees" has been established. In this sense, paying attention to epiphytes is to pay attention to the most minute yet indispensable link of the forest ecosystem. Only by protecting these "air fairies" well can the forest truly thrive and flourish. Acknowledgments Thanks to the anonymous peer review for providing targeted revision suggestions for the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Amici A.A., Nadkarni N.M., Williams C.B., and Gotsch S.G., 2020, Differences in epiphyte biomass and community composition along landscape and within‐crown spatial scales, Biotropica, 52(1): 46-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12725 Ceballos S.J., Aráoz E., and Rojas T.N., 2025, Exploring co-occurrence patterns to understand epiphyte-liana interactions, Plants, 14(1): 140. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010140 Cruz A.C.R., de Medeiros Corrêa N., da Silva Murakami M.M., de Azevedo Amorim T., Nunes-Freitas A.F., and da Silva Sylvestre L., 2022, Importance of the vertical gradient in the variation of epiphyte community structure in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Flora, 295: 152137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2022.152137 Dias-Pereira J., Andrade G.C., da Silva L.C., Ferrari F.B., Ribas R.F., Neto L.M., and Azevedo A.A., 2022, Leaf structural adaptations in vascular epiphytes from the Atlantic rainforest along phorophyte vertical stratification, Flora, 288: 152022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2022.152022 Furtado S.G., and Menini Neto L., 2021, What is the role of topographic heterogeneity and climate on the distribution and conservation of vascular epiphytes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest?, Biodiversity and Conservation, 30(5): 1415-1431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02150-6 Francisco T.M., Couto D.R., Garbin M.L., Muylaert R.L., and Ruiz-Miranda C.R., 2019, Low modularity and specialization in a commensalistic epiphyte–phorophyte network in a tropical cloud forest, Biotropica, 51(4): 509-518. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12670 Gao T.Y., Zhang W., and Zhang S.B., 2025, Differentiation in water adaptation strategy between epiphytic and terrestrial species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae), AoB Plants, 17(4): plaf030. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plaf030 García-García N.V., Valencia-Díaz S., Vergara-Torres C.A., Rios M.Y., Morales-Linares J., and Flores-Palacios A., 2025, Direct and indirect effects of the epiphyte Tillandsia recurvata (Bromeliaceae) on the growth of three of its phorophytes: A greenhouse experiment, Plant Biology, 27(4): 622-629. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70028
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