Bryoflora and landscapes of the Eastern Andes of Central Peru: : I. Liverworts of the El Sira Communal Reserve

Abstract

A total of 171 liverwort species in 51 genera from 18 families have been identified to date from bryophyte collections made in the Cordillera El Sira, an isolated outlying range of the eastern Andes in central Peru. The El Sira uplift is steep, rugged and hyper-humid, with annual rainfall recorded in excess of 7500 mm. Collections were made across an elevational range of approximately 2000 meters on the eastern escarpment of the Cordillera. These reveal a diverse bryophyte assemblage with distinct distributional patterns reflecting climatic, edaphic and micro-habitat heterogeneity. 38 new distribution records for Peru are reported