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Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore
6 Science Drive 2
Blk S6, #03-01
Singapore 117546
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

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Fax: +65-6774-8101

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Bryophytes and Pteridophytes

Bryophytes and Pteridophytes are two large groups of spore producing land plants. With fossil records dated back to Silurian geological time some 440 million years ago, they have a longer history of evolution compared to the flowering plants. In fact, they formed the first terrestrial forest during the Devonian and Carboniferous geological times some 300-380 million years ago.

Bryophytes

Bryophytes are a group of small, mostly non-vascular, land plants that share a unique life cycle having a dominant gametophyte. The spore producing body called sporophyte is permanently attached to the sexual body called gametophyte (picture 1). The gametophytic bodies of bryophytes can be either thalloid (picture 2) or leafy (picture 3). There are four main groups of bryophytes, namely the liverworts or hepatics (picture 4), mosses (picture 5), hornworts (picture 6) and the Takakia. In Malesia alone, there are some 8,000 species of bryophytes known.

1. Pogonatum	2.Marchantia	3. Distichophyllum
4. Riccardia	5. Thuidium	6. Anthoceros

The research program on bryophytes at RMBR undertaken by Dr. Benito C. Tan involves mainly the taxonomy and biogeography of East Asiatic mosses, including those found across the vast florstic region of Malesia. A large database listing all the reported names of East Asiatic mosses and their regional distribution is under construction and will be put on the RMBR website for public reference.

Dr. Tan, with collaboration from Prof. Zen Iwatsuki of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory in Japan, is also tasked to identify the hot spots of moss diversity and endemism in East Asia. This research program is sponsored by the International Association of Bryologists (IAB) and the International Union for. Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To date, eight hot spots of high moss diversity have been officially proposed to the IAB/IUCN for acceptance and protection (map 1). They are:

The Altai State Reseve in Russia and the Lake Kanasi Reserve in Xinjiang Province, China,
Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, China,
West Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve, Zhejiang Province, China,
Yakushima Island Protected Area, Japan,
Mt. Amuyaw Forest Reserve, Luzon Island, the Philippines,
Mt. Kinabalu Nature Park, Sabah State, Malaysia,
Gunung Rinjani Nature Reserve, Lombok Island, Indonesia, and
Mt. Wilhelm Forest Reserve, Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea.

map

Additionally, Dr. Tan is a member of the IUCN Bryophyte Commodity headed by Dr. T. Hallingback of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. This IUCN group is tasked to monitor the world most endangered bryophytes and the NUS website is hosting the updated list of world most endangered bryophytes approved by the IAB/IUCN.

Pteridophytes

The pteridophytes, which include the ferns (pictures 1,2) and fern allies (pictures 3, 4), are a group of vascular land plants with a dominant sporophytic body. The gametophytic body, the prothallus, is minute, often heart-shaped and free living (picture 5). Like bryophytes, members of pteridophytic group do not produce seeds but only spores. Unlike bryophytes, many pteridophytes have economic importance and are utilized by man in many ways.

Humata	Helminthostachys	Tmesipteris
	Huperzia	Gametophye of Vittaria

Research program on pteridophytes at RMBR includes a study of fern diversity in Singapore and Johore, as well as the impacts of forest fragmentation and area reduction on the local fern diversity. A SEM spore files will be created for the common ferns and fern allies found in Singapore and Peninsular Malaya.

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