Abstract:

Aims: Biodiversity conservation priority areas represent the richest biodiverse regions, typical ecosystems, distribution areas of key species, and are of great significance for biodiversity conservation. However, the coverage of nature protected areas in biodiversity priority areas is often relatively low, and there are large gaps in protection. Bryophytes play an important role in the ecosystem. However, due to the small size of individuals and difficulties in identification, the protection of bryophyte diversity is relatively weak. To understand bryophyte diversity and protection status of biodiversity conservation priority areas in China, we carried out studies on the diversity of bryophytes in Shitai County and Qingyang County, which are located in Huangshan-Huaiyushan biodiversity protection priority area.

Methods: Based on the systematic line transect method, the composition characteristics and similarity of bryophytes inside and outside the nature protected areas in the priority areas were inventoried and compared.

Results: In total, 344 species (in 140 genera and 64 families) were recorded in the area. Of these, 106 species (in 40 genera of 27 families) were liverworts and 238 species (in 100 genera of 37 families) were mosses, including 5 endangered species. Among them, 270 species belonging to 120 genera and 60 families distributed inside the nature protected areas and 185 species belonging to 90 genera and 46 families distributed outside the nature protected areas. The Jaccard similarity coefficients between the nature protected areas and unprotected areas were 0.66, 0.50 and 0.32 at the family, genus and species levels, respectively, indicating that the composition of species inside and outside the nature protected area is very different. Compared with the historical data of bryophytes of Shitai County and Qingyang County, 273 species, 64 genera and 14 families were newly recorded in this study. Among them, 96 species, 9 genera and 2 families were newly added in Anhui Province. Of these, 18 species only distributed outside the nature protected areas. Based on the species accumulation curve and extrapolation estimation, when the number of individuals collected was sufficient, the predicted value of species diversity based on the number of specimens is 485, and the predicted value based on the number of line transects was 563, indicating that the bryophyte diversity in the area may be underestimated.

Conclusion: The results of this study on the one hand highlight the important value of bryophyte protection outside the nature protected areas. On the other hand, it also reflects that it is insufficient in the protection in situ of bryophytes. We suggested to carry out similar surveys and studies in other priority areas of biodiversity conservation of China, to provide detailed and reliable data for future study on the distribution and conservation of bryophytes.

Key words: bryophytes, species diversity, sampling method, line transect survey, nature reserve