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<p>The assemblage of moss communities depends on substrata, climatic variables, and vegetation types. This study explored moss species richness across four vegetation types in the North-Western Himalayas—Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest, Dwarf Rhododendron Scrub, Alpine Pastures, and Dry Deodar Forest—investigating the roles of substrata, vegetation types, and microclimatic factors in shaping moss assemblages and ecological functions. Using the floristic habitat sampling method, we recorded a total of 174 moss taxa, with 51 new records in these vegetation types and 3 species, i.e., <i>Bucklandiella nitidula</i>, <i>Trachypodopsis formosana</i>, and <i>Entosthodon rubiginosus</i>, reported for the first time in India. We estimated the species richness and relative richness (at species, genus, and family level) across all vegetation types. Among the studied vegetation types, we found that Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest showed the highest species richness (87 taxa). The Dry Deodar Forest had the highest family relative richness (24.39%) relative to all the other studied vegetation types. Based on the evaluation of different substrata, we found phorophytes, particularly <i>Rhododendron arboreum</i>, and rocks as most moss-rich substrates, the former supporting 20 distinct epiphytic taxa. Beta diversity was found to be relatively high (2.34). While CCA ordination revealed discernible gradients relating elevation and climatic variables to moss assembly patterns, subsequent Monte Carlo permutation tests indicated these patterns were not statistically significant, highlighting the exploratory nature of these associations. Selective distribution of mosses was observed on the basis of climate patterns and substratum. Our findings underscore the ecological importance of phorophytes and undisturbed natural topography, highlighting their role in moss species richness and the need for their conservation.</p>

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Species richness, substrata preference, and phorophyte specificity of North-Western Indian Himalayan moss species

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月6日

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  • Anshul Dhyani,
  • Siddhartha Kaushal,
  • Kumar Shantanu,
  • Sanavar Soham,
  • Meenam Bhatia,
  • Prem Lal Uniyal

摘要

The assemblage of moss communities depends on substrata, climatic variables, and vegetation types. This study explored moss species richness across four vegetation types in the North-Western Himalayas—Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest, Dwarf Rhododendron Scrub, Alpine Pastures, and Dry Deodar Forest—investigating the roles of substrata, vegetation types, and microclimatic factors in shaping moss assemblages and ecological functions. Using the floristic habitat sampling method, we recorded a total of 174 moss taxa, with 51 new records in these vegetation types and 3 species, i.e., Bucklandiella nitidula, Trachypodopsis formosana, and Entosthodon rubiginosus, reported for the first time in India. We estimated the species richness and relative richness (at species, genus, and family level) across all vegetation types. Among the studied vegetation types, we found that Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest showed the highest species richness (87 taxa). The Dry Deodar Forest had the highest family relative richness (24.39%) relative to all the other studied vegetation types. Based on the evaluation of different substrata, we found phorophytes, particularly Rhododendron arboreum, and rocks as most moss-rich substrates, the former supporting 20 distinct epiphytic taxa. Beta diversity was found to be relatively high (2.34). While CCA ordination revealed discernible gradients relating elevation and climatic variables to moss assembly patterns, subsequent Monte Carlo permutation tests indicated these patterns were not statistically significant, highlighting the exploratory nature of these associations. Selective distribution of mosses was observed on the basis of climate patterns and substratum. Our findings underscore the ecological importance of phorophytes and undisturbed natural topography, highlighting their role in moss species richness and the need for their conservation.