Species Composition and Distribution of Bryophytes on Different Substrate Types in Middle Mountain Moist Evergreen Broad leaved Forest in Ailao Mountains

As an important component in montane moist forest ecosystems, bryophyte plays key roles in sustaining biodiversity and facilitating many ecological processes. The species composition and association of bryophytes on four substrates of CWD (coarse woody debris), canopy, forest floor and rock were investigated in middle mountain moist evergreen broad leaved forest in Ailao Mt., Yunnan. The results showed this region boasted a rich bryophyte flora which yielded 141 species belonging to 38 families and 69 genera, with Meteoriaceae (14 spp.) and Dicranaceae (13 spp.) predominating. 27 species appeared in more than 3 types of substrates. Host trunk had the largest number of species (94 spp.) among all substrate types. It found that there was a trend of bryophyte diversity decreased with increase of species association among dominant species of bryophyte at the level of microhabitat, based on the analysis of species association on different substrates in the natural forest.