TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gradstein, Stephan Robbert
A1  - Montfoort, D.
A1  - Cornelissen, J. Hans C.
T1  - Species richness and phytogeography of the bryophyte flora of the Guianas, with special reference to the lowland forest
T2  - Tropical bryology
N2  - The Guianas (French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana) are probably one of the last areas of the world covered largely by virgin lowland rain forest. Species diversity of epiphytic bryophytes was investigated in dry evergreen forest and mixed forest using mountaineering techniques to ascend into the canopy. The results indicate that the lowland rain forest is richer in species than previously believed due to neglect of the canopy flora, which may hold more than 50% of the local species. The mixed forest holds the richest flora and on one single forest tree up to 67 bryophyte species were found (50 on average); 28 trees yielded 154 species. A species/area curve indicates that epiphytic bryophyte species are usually commonly distributed in the forest and a few trees may yield much of the local flora. A recent checklist of the Guianas includes over 600 species of bryophytes: 375 Hepaticae and 234 Musci. As the region lacks in altitude (except on Mt. Roraima) the general character of the bryophyte flora of the Guianas is typically lowland neotropical. Over 80% of the species are rather widespread in tropical America (Amazonian species included), and the remaining are Guayana Highlands, northern Amazonian or Caribbean elements. Endemism is very low: 2.5 %.
Y1  - 1990
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/30169
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-301694
SN  - 0935-5626
N1  - The layout of the electronic version of this contribution differs from the layout of the original version published in the printed volume. Page numbers given in the metadata refer to the electronic version. Page numbers of the original version of this contribution in the printed volume are: 117-125.
VL  - 2
SP  - 117
EP  - 126
PB  - D. Quandt, Univ. Bonn, Nees Inst. für Biodiversität d. Pflanzen
CY  - Bonn
ER  -