Phylogeographic patterns in three South African forest mosses

Lepfodon smithii (Leptodontaceae) and Pterogonium gracile (Leucodontaceae) are widespread and disjunctly distributed moss species, that in South Africa are confined to forest patches believed to be relics of vast forests that existed before the Pleistocene glaciation period. These two species exhibit similar distribution and ecologies and frequently co-occur. Wardia hygrometrica is a southwestern Cape endemic that is restricted to streams within the kloofs that the forests generally occupy. In an attempt to trace the species histories and their subsequent colonization of forest patches, two molecular markers, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nuclear rDNA and trnL-F cpDNA were employed.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Mwafongo, Elizabeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hedderson, Terry A

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6144

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6144