Mosses and More: Exploring the Bryophyte Flora of Kalikasan Park | InformativeBD

Daile Meek Salvador-Membreve, Erwin N. Baňares, and Jonathan Jaime G. Guerrero, from the institute of Philippines. wrote a Research article about, Mosses and More: Exploring the Bryophyte Flora of Kalikasan Park. Entitled, Bryophyte Flora of Kalikasan Park, Albay, Philippines. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES. an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Bryophytes are nonvascular plants that have ecological and medicinal value. The present study assessed the diversity and ecological status of bryophytes flora in Kalikasan Park, Albay. Sampling plots were established based on the dominant vegetation types in the Park. Collections were made in 20 x 20m in the sampling plots. A total of eight species (8) with five (5) mosses and three (3) species of liverworts were collected in all sampling areas. Microhabitats observed in the study were decayed woods, tree trunks, wet rocks and moist soils. A high index value (2.29) with evenness index of 0.996 was observed in the study area with trees having a much higher index compared to bryophytes found in fern plots. From the species, two (2) species were found to be possibly endangered with one (1) possibly near threatened of IUCN status. Also, three bryophytes found in the area were known to have medicinal value. To date, this is the first record of bryophyte flora in Kalikasan Park.

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Introduction

Bryophytes are small, photosynthetic, nonvascular and spore-bearing plants. They encompass the terrestrial plants which include mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They occupy various environments from polar to arid conditions but are at their greatest abundance and diversity in tropical rainforests (Valente, Porto and Bastos, 2017). They thrive in trees, rocks, soil, logs and even surfaces of the leaf (Vanderpoorten, Papp and Gradstein, 2010). Bryophytes are known to be indicators of environmental conditions. They are indicator species for air and water quality, heavy metal contamination and climate change (Azuela et al., 2016, Carreon, 2016). Also, they provide habitat and food for arthropods and amphibians (Azuela et al., 2016). Bryophytes are therefore significant for ecological balance. Hence, assessment of bryophytes is thus important.

Kalikasan Park is a man-made forest situated at the back of the Bicol University main campus. It has a total area of ten hectares and the border lies on the Sagumayon River. It is characterized by shrubs, ferns and endemic and non-timber forest trees such as bamboo and rattan. Border areas of the Park are lined with human settlements and agricultural lands.

Infrastructure developments are occurring in the area which might pose a threat to population of bryophytes. Hence, this study aimed to document and determine ecological status of the bryophytes in the Park. This is the first account of bryophytes in the said area.

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 Article source : Bryophyte Flora of Kalikasan Park, Albay, Philippines