Mosses of Bolivia: Final Phase

玻利维亚是世界上苔藓资源最丰富的国家之一。苔藓是最小的植物之一；然而，它们在安第斯生态系统中发挥着重要作用，特别是在山地森林和潮湿的普纳(高山)地区。这些植物迅速吸收降雨或雾雾中的水分，然后逐渐将水释放到附近的环境中，从而缓和水流，阻止侵蚀，并有助于防止山体滑坡和洪水下坡。玻利维亚现有自然景观的持续退化(例如砍伐森林)，加上冰川的迅速消融，将对生态系统产生重大影响，特别是水的供应。该项目将通过实地盘点玻利维亚高度多样化的生态区，提供该国900多种苔藓的记录。这一“最后阶段”项目将完成研究人员记录玻利维亚苔藓多样性的目标。描述文本和数据库集合将通过项目网页向科学界和公众开放。将出版两份主要出版物；一是面向初学者或不熟悉苔藓的学生的69科275属的图文并茂的指南；二是面向生物学家和自然资源保护者的物种鉴定的技术图文并茂的处理方法。为了提高公众对这些生物的认识，将专门为高中生和大学生、公园工作人员以及对自然历史感兴趣的人准备教材。此外，环境变化使记录这些生物的生态作用变得至关重要和及时。苔藓的收集数据和描述性处理将为进一步研究这些生物的多样性和生态作用提供手段。通过讲习班和直接合作，该项目将培养一个拥有经验和专门知识的玻利维亚人社区，以确保为该国的后代延续苔藓学知识和研究。

Bolivia represents one of the world's richest countries for mosses. Mosses are among the smallest of plants; however they play a major role in the Andean ecosystem, particularly in the mountain forest and humid puna (alpine) regions. These plants quickly absorb water from rainfall or fog mist, and then gradually release the water into the immediate environment, thus they moderate water flow, arrest erosion, and assist in preventing landslides and flooding down slope. Continuing degradation of the existing natural landscape in Bolivia (e.g., deforestation), coupled with rapid deglaciation, will have a major impact on the ecosystem, particularly the availability of water. This project will provide documentation of the more than 900 mosses in the country through field inventories of the highly diverse ecological regions of Bolivia. This 'Final Phase' project will complete the researchers' goal to document the diversity of mosses in Bolivia.Descriptive text and database collections will be made accessible by a project web page to the scientific community and general public. Two major publications will be produced; first, an illustrated guide to the 69 families and 275 genera, intended for beginning students or those unfamiliar with mosses; second, a technical illustrated treatment for species identification intended for biologists and conservationists. To promote public awareness of these organisms, educational material will be prepared specifically for high school and university students, park staff, and those interested in natural history. Furthermore, environmental changes make it critical and timely that the ecological role of these organisms be documented. The collection data and descriptive treatments of the mosses will provide the means to study further the diversity and ecological role of these organisms. Through workshops and direct collaboration the project will foster a community of Bolivians with the experience and expertise to ensure continuation of bryological knowledge and research for future generations in the country.