Herbarium Insights into Bryophyte Dynamics: Resilience and Exclusivity of Species in the Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba Biological Reserve (1900–2022)

Abstract

The Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba, established in 1909, was the first biological reserve in South America and spans 336 hectares of Atlantic Forest on the Serra do Mar. Managed for over 30 years by Frederico Carlos Hoehne, the Reserve has been a focal point for botanical research. This study reanalyzed 1,105 bryophyte specimens from the SP Herbarium, comparing them with early 20th-century and recent literature. Of 142 species confirmed in the literature, 103 were classified as resilient, persisting across two periods (1900–1922 and 2000–2022). Seventy-two species were exclusive to the early period, while 114 were recorded only in the past 20 years. Additionally, 133 species mentioned in the literature for the Reserve were not observed in the herbarium material consulted. The findings revealed significant shifts in the bryophyte community and identified previously unrecorded species in the region.