Collection and Preparation Techniques of 
Bryophyte Specimens in Biodiversity Inventories 
James R. Shevock i, Ivy Amor F. Lambio \ and Benito C. Tan 3 
1 California Academy of Sciences, Departtnent of Botany, 55 Music Concow^se Drive, 
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California 94118 US.A. Email: jshevock(a).calacademy.org; 
2 Faculty, Environmental Biology' Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, Curator, UPLB-Museum 
of Natural History, University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031 Philippines, 
Email: plani_ecologist@yahoo.com; 3 University Herbarium, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg., 
University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-2465 U.S.A. Email: btakakia@yahoo.com 
Biodiversity inventory is a critical step in determining the distribution, abundance, 
rarity, and conservation priorities of species and their essential habitats. Techniques 
on inventory sampling and procedures for obtaining and processing high-quality 
bryophyte museum specimens were implemented during the 2011 Philippines biodi¬ 
versity expedition. Bryophytes in the Philippines comprise an extremely species-rich 
group of iand piants and are a key component of ecosystem function in both tropical 
lowland and montane forest systems. Inventory and specimen acquisition of 
bryophytes are urgently needed in addition to training of field-oriented biologists in 
this taxonomic group. 
Keywords: biodiversity inventory, bryophytes, herbarium specimen acquisition, record¬ 
keeping, sampling techniques 
With the current focus on molecular systematics, one would assume that basic natural history 
inventories have been completed, that all species have been discovered, named, and conservation 
actions are in place to conserve this biodiversity. Many countries, however, have only basic inven¬ 
tories of their biota (such as checklists or literature reviews), and where inventories do exist, they 
are considerably less refined below taxonomic groups containing ‘fiir, feathers, or flowers’. The 
ongoing interest from governments and conservation organizations continues to focus on biodiver¬ 
sity issues involving human interaction with the natural world and how climate change may impact 
a nation’s biodiversity. For its size, the Philippine archipelago is among the most species-rich areas 
for bryophytes in Southeast Asia with over 1200 species reported (Tan and Engel 1986; Tan and 
Iwatsuki 1991; Tan et al. 2000). In this paper, we focus primarily on our experiences in collecting 
bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and homworts) as part of a renewed bio-inventory program in the 
Philippines. Although the examples used will be based on the effective practices and appropriate 
procedures needed for the collection of bryological specimens, most of the techniques and field 
procedures described herein can be easily adapted to other taxonomic groups. 
What is a bryophyte? 
Bryophytes are considered the first land plants and include three distinct lineages: mosses, liv¬ 
erworts, and homworts. Collectively they are estimated at 20,000 species worldwide (Crandall- 
Stotler et al. 2009; Frey 2009; Goffmet et al. 2009). They differ from the flowering plants prima¬ 
rily by lacking roots, flowers, seeds, and a defined system of internal tissues known as the vascu¬ 
lar system (xylem and phloem) for transporting fluids thi'oughout the plant. In most bryophytes, the 
leaves are only one cell thick. Bryophytes reproduce not by seeds but by single-celled spores. Many 
bryophytes can also form new plants by vegetative means (tubers, gemmae, leaf fragments). 
Bryophytes have two adaptations that make them fairly unique: they are capable of dealing with 
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