Spatial Distribution Pattern and Diversity of Bryophyte & Lichen Biota in Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Central Western Ghats, India

Understanding species diversity and distribution patterns is would be help for evaluating resources of tropical forests, often tropical forest are noted as high species diverse ecosystems. With a few exceptions, ecological studies of lichens in tropical forests have been largely isolated efforts. In the present paper we analysed diversity, distribution pattern of lichen and bryophytes from tropical forests in Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary, central Western Ghats. The study area covers evergreen, semi-evergreen and shola type of vegetation. A random sampling method was used to document the lichen diversity and lichen specimens were collected at 16 different localities. The wildlife sanctuary covers a total of 102.92 Km2, from which we have recorded 135 species of lichens and 73 species bryophytes. Among the collected lichens, 58 species were macrolichen species and 77 microlichens, of which belongs to 45 genera belongs to 22 families. Among the collected bryophytes 18 species were liverworts, Two species were hornworts and 53 species were belongs to mosses. Habitat specialization can account for the coexistence of lichen species in tropical forests. The members of lichen families Parmeliaceae (23), Physciaceae (22) exhibited the maximum diversity in the area. The corticolous lichens and bryophytes were found luxuriantly as they represented by 126 and 48 species. The corticolous taxa in the seasonal tropics of India can be used to indicate, areas of long ecological continuity, areas of high biodiversity and areas where degradation of forests is occurring. The crustose lichens are dominated by 76 species followed by 48 foliose and 11 fruticose lichens species. The findings highlight the ecological significance of cryptogamic flora and provide the baseline information regarding lichen and bryophyte diversity in the Pushpagiri wild life sanctuary of Karnataka.