| Abstract Detail
Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS Perez, Mervin [1], Sastre De Jesus, Ines [2]. Importance of characterizing mesohabitats and quantifying microhabitats: the case of Sierra de Neiba, Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic contains 66% of the cloud forests reported to the West Indies. The cloud forests of Sierra Neiba are not only considered a biodiversity hot spot, but also represents the first landscape to emerge within the Caribbean Basin. Although bryophytes have been collected as part of floristic inventories in the area, thus bryophyte quantitative data are unknown for cloud forests in the region. A systematic sampling approach would contribute to determine not only bryophyte composition, but also rare species and diversity patterns in Sierra Neiba. One of the objectives of Bryophytes as Biodomes project was to conduct quantitative inventories in two cloud forests areas (Sabana del Silencio and Estación 204) and apply the Floristic Habitat Sampling (FHS) to determine gamma and alpha diversity patterns and rare species frequency. In Sabana del Silencio we identified 9 mesohabitats and 4 in Estación 204 (n=13). From both locations we report 130 moss species in 80 genera. Sixty-two species were present only once and these were mostly in the primary forest. At landscape level there is no significant difference between gamma diversity (p>0.05, n1=9, n2=4). However, there is a significant difference between alpha diversity at mesohabitat level (Primary forest (44)>Secondary forest (30)>Road bank (19)>Gallery forest (18)>Pine forest (12)>Grassland (8); LSD=25.99). In a cluster analysis, the pine forest’s species composition has greater similitude with grasslands and other open area’s species, while road bank species (at edge fragmented forest) have greater similarity to primary and secondary forests species. For the present study the number of microhabitats rather than altitude or canopy height explains the relationship between mesohabitats (p=0.0009). Mesohabitat characterization, microhabitat quantification and rarity allowed us to identify that primary and secondary forests were areas of important bryological value within Sierra Neiba.
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1 - University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, Biology, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 00680, USA
2 - University of P.R., Biology Department, Mayaguez Campus, Po Box 9012, Mayaguez, PR, 00681-9012, USA
Keywords:
species diversity
mesohabitats
microhabitats
rarity
Floristic Habitat Sampling
Cloud Forest.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 22
Location: Magpie B/Cliff Lodge - Level B
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 4:30 PM
Number: 22011
Abstract ID:281 |
