Survey of bryophytes in Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Serra da Canastra National Park is located in southwestern Minas Gerais State and contains several phytophysiognomies of the Brazilian Cerrado. To date, no study on bryophytes has been conducted in this area and the present study is the first to be carried out in this major biological reserve of Cerrado located on the Brazilian Plateau. This study found 289 species of bryophytes, including mosses, liverworts, and one species of hornwort, representing fourtyone Brazilian endemic species and 56 new records for Minas Gerais State. Most species are widely distributed in Brazil, withonly 16% having restricted distributions. Regarding worldwide distribution, 31% are Neotropical. Lejeuneaceae had the highest species richness among liverwort families with53 species, whereas Sphagnaceae had the highest richness among moss families with26 species. Phaeoceros laevis was the only hornwort species found in the park. This study contributes to the understanding of bryophyte species richness and distribution, and provides the worldwide and Brazilian distribution of the bryophyte flora of Serra da Canastra National Park, an important center for biodiversity conservation.