Reynolds 9604931 The disappearance of the natural biota is especially apparent in Vietnam. Few collections have been made form this region of SE Asia. Knowledge of the apparently rich endemism and high diversity is very incomplete. The canopy of this and other tropical regions is a distinctive habitat for large numbers of nonvascular cryptogams. The focus of this work is an inventory of these organisms that will reveal the distribution patterns and the taxic diversity of bryophytes and phylloplane fungi. The collaborators on this project are at the University of Hanoi and the University of Cantho. This award supports a planning visit to Vietnam to undertake face to face discussions with the new contacts, to discuss the details of the proposed project, to evaluate local resources and study sites, to arrange logistics, and to generate a written understanding for a collaborative study of the forest canopy bryophytes and phylloplane fungi of Vietnam.
