Hot spots of mosses in east Asia

Abstract

THE BIODIVERSITY OF MOSSES REPORTED FROM CONTINENTAL EAST ASIA IS REVIEWED AND COMPARED SEPARATELY TO REPRESENT TWO BROADLY DEFINED REGIONAL FLORAS, I.E., TEMPERATE AND TROPICAL EAST ASIATIC MOSS FLORAS. THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES, GENERA AND SPECIES, AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF ENDEMIC TAXA OR PERCENTAGE OF ENDEMISM OF EACH OF THE COMPONENT COUNTRIES IN THESE TWO VAST REGIONS ARE ASSESSED, TABULATED AND DISCUSSED. THE FLORISTIC AFFINITY, TAXIC DIVERSITY INDEX AND HABITAT DIVERSITY OF EACH COMPONENT COUNTRY ARE ANALYZED TO HELP SET PRIORITY IN THE CHOICE OF IMPORTANT CONSERVATION SITES IN THE REGIONS. INITIALLY, BASED ON THESE DATA, SIX INDIVIDUAL SITES (THREE IN CHINA, ONE IN EACH OF EAST MALAYSIA, NORTHERN PHILIPPINES AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA) AND ANOTHER BACK-UP SITE IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA, ALL RICH IN MOSS TAXA AND EMBRACING VARIOUS FLORISTIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS IN THE REGION, ARE CHOSEN AS THE HOTSPOTS CRITICALLY IN NEED OF PROTECTION.