Research

13 pages, 1561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ancient Ecological Disaster Site Is Now a Refuge: Bryophyte Diversity in Volcanic Lava Caves of Jingpo Lake World Geopark

by Mingyang Cong, Tingting Zhu, Yongkun Li, Wenjing Yang and Yuan Wei

Diversity 2023, 15(7), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070842 - 09 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 891

Abstract

Volcanic lava cave habitats are extreme environments. We carried out field investigations for five years and reported the results of bryophyte diversity in eight volcanic lava caves of Jingpo Lake World Geopark, where the largest underground lava caves in China are preserved. The [...] Read more.

Volcanic lava cave habitats are extreme environments. We carried out field investigations for five years and reported the results of bryophyte diversity in eight volcanic lava caves of Jingpo Lake World Geopark, where the largest underground lava caves in China are preserved. The results are as follows: (1) A total of 230 quadrats were set up, and 2041 bryophyte specimens were collected. The specimens belong to 272 species of 107 genera in 47 families, including 26 liverworts (13 genera, 11 families) and 246 mosses (94 genera, 36 families). (2) The α diversity of bryophytes in Underground Lava Fall Cave was the highest, while that in Foggy Cave was the lowest. (3) The dominant families included Mniaceae, etc, accounting for 55.9% of the total species. The dominant genera included Plagiomnium, etc, accounting for 24.3% of the total species. The dominant species included Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske etc. (4) There are no shared species among all eight lava caves, and each cave has a unique species composition. (5) Compared with that in other habitats in our previous studies, the similarity of bryophyte species between lava caves and underground forests of craters was high (113 species, 40.07%), while it was low between lava caves and lava platforms (9 species, 4.65%). Our study revealed that the lava caves have a high potential for bryophyte diversity, and such ancient ecological disaster sites are now rare refuges for bryophytes. Mosses are more adapted to cave habitats than liverworts. Bryophytes in this special eco-environment need to be considered and protected in order to preserve high-quality gene resources for humans, which is of great significance for the maintenance and development of biodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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12 pages, 2310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Importance of Bark Physicochemical Properties in an Epiphytic Bryophyte Community within a Temperate Deciduous Broadleaf Forest

by Yizhen Shao, Senlin Wang, Yushan Li, Yun Chen, He Zhao, Jing Wang, Fengqin Liu and Zhiliang Yuan

Diversity 2023, 15(5), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050688 - 19 May 2023

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Abstract

Epiphytic bryophytes are important components of forest ecosystems and play important roles in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the main factors driving epiphytic bryophyte diversity remain unclear. We collected the tree epiphytic bryophytes from a one-hectare plot within a temperate deciduous broadleaf [...] Read more.

Epiphytic bryophytes are important components of forest ecosystems and play important roles in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the main factors driving epiphytic bryophyte diversity remain unclear. We collected the tree epiphytic bryophytes from a one-hectare plot within a temperate deciduous broadleaf forest (China). Canonical correspondence analyses and Mantel tests were used to establish linear regression models and thus dissect the effects of environmental variables (topography, light and bark physicochemical properties) on the species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity of epiphytic bryophytes. The relationship between environmental variables and epiphytic bryophyte diversity was analyzed using piecewise structural equation modeling. Results showed that the physicochemical properties of the bark directly influenced the species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of the epiphytic bryophytes. The physical and chemical properties of bark also indirectly affected the functional diversity of the epiphytic bryophytes. Elucidation of the factors driving epiphytic bryophyte diversity provides insights into their conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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10 pages, 2533 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

On the Occurrence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in a Bryophyte Community of Punta Lara Natural Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina

by Fabricio Emanuel Valdés, Denilson Fernandes Peralta, María Silvana Velázquez, Fernanda Covacevich, Alejandra Gabriela Becerra and Marta Noemí Cabello

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030442 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1474

Abstract

The evolutionary history of the symbiotic association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and embryophytes dates back to the Devonian period. Previous ecological and physiological studies have described the presence of arbuscules, inter- and intracellular hyphae, vesicles, coils and spores, in liverworts and hornworts, [...] Read more.

The evolutionary history of the symbiotic association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and embryophytes dates back to the Devonian period. Previous ecological and physiological studies have described the presence of arbuscules, inter- and intracellular hyphae, vesicles, coils and spores, in liverworts and hornworts, which are considered absent in mosses. This study aimed to report the presence of AMF in a community of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) from Punta Lara Natural Reserve, Argentina. Senescent and green sections of gametophytes were stained and, following microscopic observation, revealed AMF structures. We found intracellular hyphae, vesicles, spores and sporocarps associated with thallus and rhizoids of mosses and liverworts and senescent moss caulidia. The morphological characterization of spores resulted in the determination of Rhizophagus intraradices and Dominikia aurea. The species D. aurea is reported for the first time for Argentina. Sequencing of the D1 variable domain of the LSUrDNA from AMF spores mixes plus hyphae resulted in high similitude to the Dominikia sequences available from NCBI. This study reported the presence of AMF associated with declining and senescent gametophytes of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) in a Natural Reserve in Argentina. These findings open up new lines of study, which should further investigate these associations and their diversity, physiology and significance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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13 pages, 3382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Liverwort Diversity in Cambodia: New Records Show There Is Still Much to Learn

by Vadim A. Bakalin, Seung Se Choi and Seung Jin Park

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020241 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1299

Abstract

In Southeast Asia, Cambodia is one of the least studied countries in terms of liverwort diversity. A partial study of about 500 specimens gathered from 2009 to 2013 yielded 66 species new to the country, which raised the number of known species in [...] Read more.

In Southeast Asia, Cambodia is one of the least studied countries in terms of liverwort diversity. A partial study of about 500 specimens gathered from 2009 to 2013 yielded 66 species new to the country, which raised the number of known species in Cambodia to 210, a number still far below expectations. Twenty genera are new to the country, including Dumortiera, Jackiella, and Lepidozia that are very common and characteristic elements of the mesophytic tropical flora in Asia. The distribution within the country of already known species is supplemented with new data. Two new combinations are proposed: Plectocolea polyrhizoides (Grolle) Bakalin et S.S. Choi comb. nov. and Plectocolea longifolia (Schiffn.) Bakalin et S.S. Choi comb. nov. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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9 pages, 17018 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

One Species or Two: A Puzzling Case from Scapaniaceae (Marchantiophyta)

by Yulia D. Maltseva, Vladimir E. Fedosov, Vadim A. Bakalin, Ksenia G. Klimova and Seung Se Choi

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020205 - 01 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1031

Abstract

This paper addresses the genetic delimitation of narrowly distributed Scapania magadanica and broadly circumpolar S. kaurinii. The phylogenetic trees based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference constructed for one of the most informative loci (ITS1–2) showed that Scapania magadanica was deeply nested [...] Read more.

This paper addresses the genetic delimitation of narrowly distributed Scapania magadanica and broadly circumpolar S. kaurinii. The phylogenetic trees based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference constructed for one of the most informative loci (ITS1–2) showed that Scapania magadanica was deeply nested within the clade of S. kaurinii. The comparison of the obtained topologies with known strong morphological dissimilarities of two taxa has led to the understanding that this approach does not work. The latter may be due to a widespread variable tentatively ‘ancestral’ species (S. kaurinii) having no joint molecular synapomorphies that would delimit it from the locally distributed derived taxon (S. magadanica). Therefore, the relationships of these two species were evaluated using molecular genetic distances with the Neighbor Net split network and TCS haplotype network. The obtained data have confirmed the speculation above, and it is possible to assume that when the S. magadanica lineage split, S. kaurinii already occupied a rather wide range, which could limit further gene flow among its remote populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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12 pages, 5261 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Epiphytic Bryophyte and Woody Plant Species in a Temperate Deciduous Broad-Leaved Forest

by Yun Chen, Senlin Wang, Wenxin Liu, Fengqin Liu, Yizhen Shao, Jing Wang and Zhiliang Yuan

Diversity 2022, 14(11), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110979 - 14 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1420

Abstract

Determining whether epiphytic bryophytes have ecological preferences for woody plants remains difficult. Here, our primary aim in developing the torus-translation test is to evaluate the associations between epiphytic bryophytes and woody plants at the species, genus, or family levels in a 100 m [...] Read more.

Determining whether epiphytic bryophytes have ecological preferences for woody plants remains difficult. Here, our primary aim in developing the torus-translation test is to evaluate the associations between epiphytic bryophytes and woody plants at the species, genus, or family levels in a 100 m × 100 m forest dynamics plot in a temperate, deciduous broad-leaved forest (China). We collected all the epiphytic bryophyte species on woody plants and recorded the woody plant species in the 1-ha plot in 2020. All the epiphytic bryophytes on the trees from the ground level up to 2 m were collected. We recorded 988 epiphytic bryophyte specimens belonging to 61 species in 254 woody plants. The Torus-translation test showed that 93.44% (57/61), 93.44% (57/61), and 98.36% (60/61) of the bryophyte species were significantly positively associated with the family, genus, and species of woody plants, respectively. A total of 317, 563, and 857 significant positive associations concerning the family, genus, and species of the woody plants were observed among the 61 examined bryophyte species. In addition, few significant negative associations were identified regarding the family, genus, and species of woody plants. More rare bryophyte species were positively correlated with woody plants than dominant bryophyte species. Our study demonstrates that most epiphytic bryophytes exhibit ecological habitat preferences for woody plants. These observations highlight the importance of the species composition of woody plants with respect to the maintenance of epiphytic bryophytes’ diversity. Epiphytic bryophytes’ growth preference for woody plants, especially rare bryophyte species, should be considered in the process of bryophyte diversity conservation in temperate, deciduous broad-leaved forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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40 pages, 21481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Liverworts of the South Kamchatka Nature Park: Survival in Active Volcanism Land

by Vadim A. Bakalin, Ksenia G. Klimova, Eugeniy A. Karpov, Daniil A. Bakalin and Seung Se Choi

Diversity 2022, 14(9), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090722 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1370

Abstract

Kamchatka, due to its position in hemiarctic northeast Asia on the migration pathways of taxa from Asia to America and vice versa, which has an insular geographical position and provides numerous pieces of evidence regarding current active volcanism, has a peculiar flora. The [...] Read more.

Kamchatka, due to its position in hemiarctic northeast Asia on the migration pathways of taxa from Asia to America and vice versa, which has an insular geographical position and provides numerous pieces of evidence regarding current active volcanism, has a peculiar flora. The study of the liverwort flora of the southeastern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula (South Kamchatka Nature Park), which, until now, has been very poorly explored, showed high taxonomic richness and some specificity due to volcanic evidence. In total, 132 species have been recorded in this sector of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. This number is quite high compared to other floras of hemiarctic Asia. The influence of volcanism on flora formation is prominent due to the regular renewal of substrates, the appearance of specific habitats (for example, thermal water outlets), the displacement of vegetation belts, and ashfalls leading to the presence of extended spaces free of vegetation cover and is an area that is open for invaders. The altitudinal zonality, despite the difference of 2000 m in elevation, is not clearly expressed in the flora of the liverworts: arctomontane species descend far down the altitudinal profile, reaching the Betula ermanii forests. The “plantless” uppermost belt in the mountains, commonly described in floristic studies of vascular plants, is not actually free of plants if liverwort occurrences are considered. A number of species normally occupy unusual habitats in the studied flora due to contemporary volcanism evidence, e.g., sulfur-rich substrates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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24 pages, 6620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revision of the Plagiothecium cavifolium complex (Bryophyta: Plagiotheciaceae)

by Grzegorz J. Wolski, Aneta Tylak and William R. Buck

Diversity 2022, 14(8), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080633 - 09 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1642

Abstract

In the Northern Hemisphere, Plagiothecium cavifolium is currently one of the most widely distributed species. This taxon has been described as extremely variable for decades, but the reasons for this variability have not been investigated in detail. The analysis of original materials and [...] Read more.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Plagiothecium cavifolium is currently one of the most widely distributed species. This taxon has been described as extremely variable for decades, but the reasons for this variability have not been investigated in detail. The analysis of original materials and diagnoses, as well as a detailed analysis of the history of names considered as synonyms of P. cavifolium sensu lato, showed that in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics, a number of the names of this complex differ significantly from the diagnosis of Hypnum cavifolium (basionym of P. cavifolium). The most important features distinguishing individual taxa include: julaceous stems; imbricate leaves, their symmetry, concavity; serration of leaf apices; the length of the cells from the middle part of the leaf; and the orientation of the capsules. Thus, the research conducted within P. cavifolium sensu lato made it possible to distinguish seven separate taxa: P. cavifolium (= P. cavifolium sensu stricto), P. flaccidum, P. tenue (being a new combination), P. ikegamii, P. subjulaceum, P. sakuraii and P. otii (four resurrected species). In addition, the analysis of original materials and the diagnosis of several taxa allowed them to be excluded from the described complex, and here we propose their synonymization with other taxa, such as P. longisetum and Hygrohypnum luridum. Photographic documentation and a key to distinguishing species within the described complex are attached. For two names (P. sakuraii and P. succulentum var. longifolium) lectotypes are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Bryophytes)

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