Scientific Results of the BRYOTROP Expedition to Zaire and Rwanda 2. The altitudinal zonation of the bryophytes on Mt. Kahuzi, Zaire

Abstract

The altitudinal zonation of the tropical rain forest at Mt. Kahuzi has been studied using bryophytes. The study is based on floristic parameters such as the number of species per hectarplot in different altitudes and the calculation of floristic discontinuities extracted from and evluation of altitudinal ranges. The results are compared and correlated to ecological parameters, especially data on the phytomass of epiphytic bryophytes per m² and per hectare. Based on these data, the tropical rain forest is classified as submontane forest (-1500 m), lower tropical montane forest (1500-2000 m), upper tropical montane forest (2100-2800 m), and subalpine forest (2900-3200 m). Except for the terminology, the vegetation belts derived from bryophytes can be correlated with those presented in general vegetatioinal schemes for tropcial Africa.