BROAD LANDSCAPE RELATIONS OF THE MOSS FLORA FROM INLAND DRY RAIN-FOREST IN NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

The moss flora of dry rainforest in north Queensland was surveyed in c onjunction with a vascular plant survey. Moss species richness was str ongly correlated with patch area, mean annual rainfall, and vascular p lant species richness. Moss species richness rises where volcanic crat ers within the study area increase moisture status. Geological substra te had a stronger relationship with associations within the moss flora as defined by the TWINSPAN classificatory procedure and with individu al moss species than either landform category or classificatory groups of vascular plants, The association of four species with large closed canopy patches may reflect a humid microclimate and suggests that all else being equal large patches will preserve more species than many s mall areas of rainforest. However, a high proportion of rare species w ere associated with the soil surface and there was no obvious way of p redicting their locality.