Abstract:

Aims: A species checklist serves as essential baseline data for regional biodiversity. Timely updating of the checklist plays an important role in biodiversity conservation and in the promotion of fundamental data sharing. The aim of this article is to update the list of bryophytes in Gansu Province in order to understand their current status and provide a baseline for the conservation of bryophyte diversity moving forward. 

Method: This bryophyte list was created by reviewing literature, as well as identifying and examining collected specimens. 

Results: This analysis revealed that a cumulative 846 bryophyte species, belonging to 284 genera and 94 families, have been identified in Gansu Province. Among them, there were 195 species of liverworts belonging to 65 genera and 36 families, 1 species of hornworts belonging to 1 genus and 1 family, and 650 species of moss belonging to 218 genera and 57 families. Additionally, 7 families had more than 25 species, and 10 genera had more than 15 species. Of the cumulative bryophyte species found in this province, 67 species, 17 genera, and 3 families were newly recorded. The bryophyte flora was comprised of 41.25% temperate distribution types, 32.98% East Asian distribution types (including endemic distributions in China), and 13.24% tropical distribution types. Of these flora, 53 of the species were endemic to China; 1 was Critically Endangered, Buxbaumia minakatae; 6 were Endangered, include: Scapania harae, Ascidiota blepharophylla, Encalypta buxbaumioida, Bucklandiella angustifolia, Distichium brevisetum, and Hypnum desirameum; 5 were Vulnerable, include: Grimmia mammosa, Crossidium squamiferum, Bryum bornholmense, Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides, and Neckera laevidens; 1 was a second-class national key protected wild plant, Leucobryum juniperoideum. 

Conclusions: Research efforts on bryophyte resources in different regions of Gansu Province are unevenly distributed, with some areas receiving significantly more attention than others. Moreover, there has been a lack of systematic surveys since 2007. To ensure that these invaluable resources are protected and utilized efficiently moving forward, it is recommended to routinely carry out systematic and comprehensive investigations.

Key words: bryophytes, species diversity, biodiversity inventory, new records, Gansu Province