Andean moss diversity and conservation: State of Knowledge and Perquisites for the future

Abstract

THE TROPICAL ANDES ACCOMMODATE APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOTAL MOSS DIVERSITR RECORDED FOR THE NEOTROPICS. ENDEMISM FOR THIS REGION IS ESTIMATED AT 27% AT THE GENERIC LEVEL AND 30-40% AT THE SPECIES LEVEL. GIVEM THE DEGREE OF DEFORESTATION AND LAND ALTERATION (CA. 75% OR MORE) COUPLED WITH EXCEEDINGLY HIGH PLANT DIVERSITY, THE TROPICAL ANDES WARRANT A HIGH CONSERVATION STATUS. PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF ANDEAN MOSSES AT THE VERY BASIC LEVELS OF TAXONOMY AND GEOGRAPHY IS AT BEST MINIMAL. A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENT NEOTROPICAL BRYOLOGISTS WITH ADEQUATE INFRAESTRUCTURE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PROGRESS BEYOND OUR PRESENT UNDERSTANDING. THE TROPICAL ANDES REPRESENT ONE OF THE MAJOR REGIONS FOR PLANT DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD, AND LIKELY THE RICHEST IN THE TROPICS (HENDERSON ET AL., 1991). THE ASSESMENT OF REGIONAL MOSS DIVERSITY IN THE NEOTROPICS IS STILL IN A PRELIMINARY PHASE, HOWEVER, THE TROPICAL ANDES LIKELY CONTAINS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SPECIES.