Regional risk assessment of high-altitude field mosses

Abstract

The Itatiaia National Park protects important Atlantic Forest remnants as well as a large number of rare bryophyte species. We reassessed the conservation status of 45 species of endemic and/or threatened mosses occurring in high-altitude fields in the Park. The conservation analysis followed the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines. The GeoCAT software was used to calculate the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO). The threat vectors were characterized based on field observations and data from the literature. After the reassessment, 31 species were considered threatened, with 16 being considered vulnerable (VU), seven critically endangered (CR), and eight endangered (EN). Two species were considered “near threatened” (NT) and three were considered “data deficient” (DD), and seven were considered “least concern” (LC). The main threats in that region are wildfires and excessive tourism - factors that lower habitat quality and reduce their EOO and AOO. Recommendations to minimize imminent losses of the local bryoflora include incentives for research and microhabitat protection. Our results are designed to aid in the elaboration of conservation strategies for mosses in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountains.