Cereoid-XXXXX schreef
You are being outrageous again, Rinkytink. The only thing weakening here
is
your claims.

+ + +
There is a well-known saying "truth is stranger than fiction". If there is
one field where it is obvious that this is spot on (except possibly to the
most obtuse) then it is botany.
+ + +

Epiphytes don't weaken or kill a tree. They only use the tree branches for
support and they do not obscure the tree foliage. There would need to an
enormous mass of epiphytes to bring down a tree and that rarely if ever
occurs.

+ + +
Even in the USA trees are downed by Tillandsia usneoides. If there is enough
of the stuff on a tree and it rains heavily the enormous weight will bring
the tree down.

As I understand it, a canopy tree in atropical rainforest will bear a weight
of epiphytes equal to the weight of its own crown. Trees collapsing under
this joint weight are a regular occurrence.
PvR