Moss Flora of New Zealand: Conclusions & the Future
Conclusions and the Future
In many instances the taxonomic relationship of New Zealand species to those from other geographic regions, especially South America and Australia/Tasmania, is problematic, as, for example, the relationship between the New Zealand and Tasmanian representatives of the genus Pleurophascum (see illustration). As many as possible of these taxonomic problems are being resolved in the course of Flora preparation. The Flora is expected to be of value for the study of biodiversity, conservation, and land-management issues in New Zealand. It is hoped that the completed Flora will serve as a springboard for further studies on the biogeography and systematic relationships of mosses in cool-temperate portions of the Southern Hemisphere.
References
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1. Wellington, Government Printer.
Beever, J., Allison, K.W., and Child, J. 1992: The mosses of New Zealand, 2nd edition. Dunedin, University of Otago.
Fife, A.J. 1995: Checklist of the mosses of New Zealand. Bryologist 98: 313-337.
Sainsbury, G.O.K. 1955: A handbook of the New Zealand mosses. Bull. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 5: 1-490.
Acknowledgements
The line drawings were expertly prepared by Rebecca Wagstaff. Bill Malcolm kindly provided the photograph. The author also thanks Sue Gibb, David Glenny, Kirsty Cullen, and Stacey Mitchell for their assistance. Financial support is provided from the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology Contract C09618.