Briófitas corticícolas del Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces, Panamá

Melissa R. Toribio; Nayda Flores; Carlos P. Guerra Torres

doi:10.48204/j.tecno.v8n2.a10895

Submitted July 23, 2026

Published 2026-07-30

Artículos

Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): Tecnociencia

Corticulous bryophytes of the Camino de Cruces National Park Panama

Melissa R. Toribio⁺⁻
Nayda Flores⁺⁻
Carlos P. Guerra Torres⁺⁻

DOI https://doi.org/10.48204/j.tecno.v8n2.a10895

PDF (Español (España))

References

DOI: 10.48204/j.tecno.v8n2.a10895

Published: 2026-07-30

How to Cite

Toribio, M. R., Flores, N. and Guerra Torres, C. P. (2026) “Corticulous bryophytes of the Camino de Cruces National Park Panama”, Tecnociencia, 8(2), pp. 235–252. doi: 10.48204/j.tecno.v8n2.a10895.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

We studied the richness, composition and vertical distribution of corticolous bryophytes in the Camino de Cruces National Park (PNCC), in order to determine the alpha diversity of bryophytes in a Panamanian lowland forest. Sampling was carried put within a 1-ha plot, on ten trees with a BHD greater than 10 cm. We collected bryophytes in all four cardinal points and at two height levels of each tree. 330 registries resulted from sampling, identifying 22 species within 12 families. 18 species corresponded to mosses and 4 to liverworts. The most diverse families include Thuidiaceae, with 4 species; followed by Lejeuneaceae and Calymperaceae, with three species each. The four predominant life-forms were: mat (41%), short turf, tail and smooth mat, each with 14%. 59% of species are generalists, while 41% are shade epiphytes. 27% of species have a neotropical distribution. This work contributes in filling the gaps in information on lowland forests’ diversity, due to the limited amount of data regarding bryophytes in this type of forest.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acebey, A., Gradstein, S. R., & Krömer, T. (2003). Species richness and habitat diversification of bryophytes in submontane rain forest and fallows of Bolivia. J. Trop. Ecol. 19(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026646740300302X
Allen, B. (1994). Moss Flora of Central America. Part 1. Sphagnaceae--Calymperaceae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 49.
Allen, B. (2010). Moss Flora of Central America. Part 3. Anomodontaceae-Symphyodontaceae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 117.
Allen, B. (2018). Moss flora of Central America. Part 4. Fabroniaceae–Polytrichaceae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 132.
ANAM-BID (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente – Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. (2010). Atlas Ambiental de la República de Panamá. Primera edición. Novo Art, S.A. Colombia 190 págs.
Bates, J. W. (1998). Is “Life-Form” a Useful Concept in Bryophyte Ecology? Oikos, 82(2), 223–237. https://doi.org/10.2307/3546962
Bechteler, J., G. Peñaloza-Bojacá, D. Bell, J. G. Burleigh, S. F. McDaniel, E. C. Davis, E. B. Sessa, et al. 2023. Comprehensive phylogenomic time tree of bryophytes reveals deep relationships and uncovers gene incongruences in the last 500 million years of diversification. Am. J. Bot. 110(11): e16249. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16249
Chung, C. C. (1995). Estudio preliminar de los musgos corticícolas en árboles y arbustos menores de 10 cm de DAP en el Sendero Panamá, Parque Nacional Altos de Campana. Tesis de Licenciatura. Universidad de Panamá.
Churchill, S. P., Aldana, C., Opisso, J., & Morales, T. (2020). Familias y géneros de los musgos de los Andes tropicales. Missouri Bot. Gard.
Condit, R., Aguilar, S., & Pérez, R. (2020). Trees of Panama: A complete checklist with every geographic range. For. Ecosyst. 7(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/S40663-020-00246-Z/FIGURES/7
Cornelissen, J. H. C., & Steege, H. T. (1989). Distribution and ecology of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens in dry evergreen forest of Guyana. J. Trop. Ecol. 5(2), 131–150. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467400003400
Costa, D., & Lima, F. (2005). Moss diversity in the tropical rainforests of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern. Braz. J. Bot. 28, 671–685.
Costa, D. P. (1999). Epiphytic bryophyte diversity in primary and secondary lowland rainforests in southeastern Brazil. The Bryologist, 102(2), 320–326. https://doi.org/10.2307/3244372
Dauphin, G., Gradstein, S. R., & Allen, N. S. (2022). Liverworts and Hornworts of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Cryptogam. Bryol. 43(9), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.5252/CRYPTOGAMIE-BRYOLOGIE2022V43A9
Delgadillo, C., Escolástico, D., Hernández, E., Herrera, P., Peña, P., & Juárez, C. (2022). Manual de Briofitas. In T. Terrazas S (Ed.), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Tercera Edición). Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Gradstein, R. (2006). The lowland cloud forest of French Guiana - a liverwort hotspot. Cryptogam. Bryol. 27(1), 141-152.
Gradstein, R., Churchill, S. P., & Salazar Allen, N. (2001). Guide to the bryophytes of tropical America. Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 86.
Gradstein, R., & Da Costa, D. (2003). The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of Brazil. Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 87.
Gradstein, R., Nadkarni, N., Krömer, T., Holz, I., & Nöske, N. (2003). A Protocol for Rapid and Representative Sampling of Vascular and Non-Vascular Epiphyte Diversity of Tropical Rain Forests. Selbyana. 24, 105-111.
Gradstein, R., & Salazar Allen, N. (1992). Bryophyte diversity along an altitudinal gradient in Darién National Park, Panamá. Trop. Bryol. 5(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.11646/BDE.5.1.10
Gradstein, S. R. (2021). The Liverworts and Hornworts of Colombia and Ecuador. Springer. Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 121, 1-123.
Grandall-Stotler, B., Stotler, R., & Long, D. (2009). Morphology and classification of the Marchantiophyta. In B. Goffinet & J. Shaw (Eds.), Bryophyte Biology (Second Edition). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–54.
Guerra, G., Arrocha, C., Rodríguez, G., Déleg, J., & Benítez, Á. (2020). Briófitos en los troncos de árboles como indicadores de la alteración en bosques montanos de Panamá. Rev. biol. trop. 68(2), 492–502. https://doi.org/10.15517/RBT.V68I2.38965
Harris, B.J., Clark, J.W., Schrempf, D. et al. Divergent evolutionary trajectories of bryophytes and tracheophytes from a complex common ancestor of land plants. Nat. Ecol. Evol. 6, 1 634-1 643 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01885-x
Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia (IGNTG). (2016). Atlas Nacional de la República de Panamá.
Margalef, R. (1972). Homage to Evelyn Hutchinson, or why is there an upper limit to diversity. Trans. Conn. Acad. 44, 211-235.
McCarthy, R., Castillo, J., & Castillo, N. (1999). Plan de Manejo Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces, Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas. Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, Administración regional Panamá Metropolitana. Panamá.
Ministerio de Ambiente. (2016). Gaceta Oficial. Resolución N° DM-0392-2016.https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/28077/GacetaNo_28077_20160719.pdf
Pardow, A., Gehrig-Downie, C., Gradstein, R., & Lakatos, M. (2012). Functional diversity of epiphytes in two tropical lowland rainforests, French Guiana: Using bryophyte life-forms to detect areas of high biodiversity. Biodivers. Conserv. 21(14), 3637-3655. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/S10531-012-0386-Z/METRICS
Rodríguez-Quiel, E., Arrocha, C., & Salazar-Allen, N. (2010). Utilization of Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) Mitt. as bioindicator for environmental zinc, copper and lead contamination in Boquete, Province of Chiriquí, Panamá. Trop. Bryol. 32(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.11646/bde.32.1.3
Rodríguez-Quiel, E., Kluge, J., Mendieta-Leiva, G., Bader, M. Y., Eyvar Rodríguez-Quiel, C. E., & Uch, H. (2022). Elevational patterns in tropical bryophyte diversity differ among substrates: A case study on Baru volcano, Panama. J. Veg. Sci. 33, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13136
Rodríguez-Quiel, E., Mendieta-Leiva, G., & Bader, M. Y. (2019). Elevational patterns of bryophyte and lichen biomass differ among substrates in the tropical montane forest of Baru Volcano, Panama. J. Bryol. 41(2), 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736687.2019.1584433
Salazar Allen, N., Arrocha, C., & Chung, C. (1991). The mosses of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The Bryologist, 94(3), 289-293. https://doi.org/10.2307/3243967
Salazar Allen, N., & Chung, C. (1997). Primera aproximación al catálogo de briófitas del Parque Nacional de Coiba (Panamá). Castroviejo S. & Velayos M. (Eds.), Flora y fauna del Parque Nacional de Coiba (Panamá): inventario preliminar. AECI Agencia Española de Cooperacio?n Internacional.
Salazar Allen, N., & Crosby, M. (1985). Distribución y Diversidad de la Flora de Musgos de Panamá. D’Arcy, W. C. y M. Correa (Eds.) The Botany and natural history of Panama. Missouri Bot. Gard. 10, 49-52.
Salazar Allen, N., Dauphin, G., Villarreal, J. C., Caswell L-Levy, C., Cox, E., Espinoza, B. A., Gudiño, J., Hernández-Rodríguez, E., Magaña-Marcial, K. Y., Mez?ka, A., Ramírez-Román, J. D., Rodríguez, L., Carvajal, A. R., Romero-Moreno, C., Tomitani, A., & Zeballos-Grijalva, K. (2022). Bryophytes of mangroves of Bocas del Toro, Panama. Bry. Div. Evo. 45(1), 133–150. https://doi.org/10.11646/BDE.45.1.9
Souza, J. P. S., Gomes, P. W. P., Dos Santos, R., & Tavares-Martins, A. C. C. (2021). Bryophyte flora in an Amazon Island: structure of communities in areas of different levels of anthropization. Rodriguésia, 72, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-7860202172107
Sporn, S. G., Bos, M. M., Kessler, M., & Gradstein, S. R. (2010). Vertical distribution of epiphytic bryophytes in an Indonesian rainforest. Biodivers. Conserv. 19, 745-760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9731-2
Takashima-Oliveira, T. T. G., De Medeiros, P. S., & Tavares-Martins, A. C. C. (2020). Bryophyte communities across the ecological succession process in the Caxiuanã National Forest, Pará, Brazil. An. Acad. Bras. Cienc. 92(1), e20180626. https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202020180626
Vanderpoorten, A., & Goffinet, B. (2009). Mosses. In Introduction to Bryophytes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (pp. 70-105). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511626838.005