Diversity and distribution of the bryophyte flora in montane forests in the Chapada Diamantina region of Brazil

Abstract

Bryophytes constitute an important component of tropical rain forests, which provide microhabitats favorable for their establishment. Bryophytes are also quite responsive to changes in microclimate, which makes them good bioindicators. This study aimed to determine the diversity and distribution of bryophytes in upper and lower montane forests of the Chapada Diamantina region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. To that end, we studied community aspects such as richness, diversity, substrates colonized, life forms and floristic similarity between areas and regions. In 2007 and 2008, we collected specimens from six forest sites, located from the north to the south of the Chapada Diamantina region. We identified a total of 205 infrageneric taxa. In comparison with the lower montane forests, the upper montane forests presented higher diversity and species richness, as well as greater numbers of substrates colonized, life form types, species of restricted geographic distribution and species typical of shaded areas. We also found low similarity in the species composition, the populations of the upper and lower montane forests forming two large and distinct groups. Although presenting relatively high floristic homogeneity among themselves, the Chapada Diamantina areas presented little similarity with those of the Atlantic Forest. This can be explained by the differences between the two regions in terms of environmental conditions, precipitation, seasonality, elevation and continentality.

Biodiversity survey, ecology and new distribution records of Marchantiophyta in a remnant of Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…The high number of Neotropical species was expected, because, in general, they are more abundant than Pantropical species (Tan & Pócs 2000). These data corroborate other studies in the state of Bahia, such as Valente et al (2009), ), Valente et al (2013b and Oliveira & Bastos (2014).…”

Moss Flora of Kanneliya Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

“…Among these epiphytic mosses were the most common within the forest. This is a common phenomenon for tropical rain forests and is mainly to obtain adequate light and moisture since the forest ground remain dark covered by leaf litter (Webb, 1959;Chantanaorrapint, 2010;Valente et al, 2013).…”

Species turnover of corticolous bryophyte assemblages over 15 years in an Australian subtropical cloud forest

“…; Valente et al . ). Bryophytes generally lack a protective cuticle and are therefore likely to be highly sensitive to alterations in the environment brought about by changes in precipitation and a rise in the orographic cloud layer coupled with increases in temperature.…”

“…Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) typically comprise a significant component of species richness in tropical and subtropical montane forests characterized by a high incidence of orographic mists and constant humidity (referred to hereafter as cloud forests) (Gradstein et al 2001;Sporn et al 2010;Obregon et al 2011;Valente et al 2013). Bryophytes generally lack a protective cuticle and are therefore likely to be highly sensitive to alterations in the environment brought about by changes in precipitation and a rise in the orographic cloud layer coupled with increases in temperature.…”