BRYOPHYTES OF MOUNT PATUHA, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

GRADSTEIN, R. et al. 2010. Bryophytes of Mount Patuha, West Java, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 13(2): 107-123. - This paper presents the results of a two-day survey of the bryophyte flora of Mt. Patuha and its surroundings near Bandung, West Java, carried out in the framework of the 5th regional training course on bryophyte and lichen diversity and conservation organized by SEAMEO BIOTROP, Bogor, in July 2009. A total of 159 bryophyte species were identified, including 98 mosses, 60 liverworts, and 1 hornwort, representing almost 1/6 of the total bryophyte flora of Java. Three moss species, Bryohumbertia subcomosa (Dix.) J.-P. Frahm, Fissidens gymnogynus Besch. and F. polypodioides Hedw., and one liverwort, Lejeunea pectinella Mizut., are new additions to the Javanese flora. The bryophyte diversity of Mt. Patuha is well representative of the Malesian flora and is rich in uncommon species. However, the relatively poor representation of shade epiphytes and commonness of sun epiphytes and generalists reflect disturbance of the forest by anthropogenic activities. Careful attention should be given to conservation of the remaining natural forest in order to prevent further losses of the rich bryophyte diversity of the area

Proboscidea as palaeoenvironmental indicators in Southeast Asia

The carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope compositions of living and fossilized animal skeletal tissues have been widely used as a proxy of faunal palaeodiet and terrestrial palaeoenvironment. Despite having a remarkable record of the Late Neogene to Quaternary and as evolutionary hotspot of fossil fauna diversity, stable isotope approach has rarely been applied to the fossil assemblages in Southeast Asia. This area is important for a comprehensive biogeographic setting, due to the availability of mainland, continental islands and oceanic islands in one region. In this study, stable carbon and oxygen isotope composition analysis was applied on proboscidean tooth enamel samples from various fossil-bearing sites in the mainland and islands in Southeast Asia, also Siwalik and Linxia Basin, ranging in age from the Middle Miocene to present. The aim of this research was to reconstruct the interactions between past environmental changes and the evolution of the fossilized and living proboscidean taxa in mainland and island Southeast Asia. .