An international team of collaborators, led by Dr. Matt von Konrat of Chicago’s Field Museum, together with a team from the South Pacific Regional Herbarium, spent four weeks carrying out field work on Viti Levu and Kadavu, collecting bryophytes, lichens and ferns. The bryophytes and lichens, which are poorly known from Fiji and the tropical Pacific region, were the main focus of this expedition. Documenting the diversity and distribution of these tiny plants is vital for our understanding of their ecological significance, including their potential to act as indicators of climate change.
External links:
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/video-botanical-exploration-fiji
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/biodiversity-studies-fiji-cryptogams-ferns-bryophytes-and-lichens
http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2011/09/19/ferning-in-fiji/
http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2011/09/20/up-the-volcano-fiji-ferns-ii/