BBS Tropical Bryology Group - a belated progress report for 2004 and 2005
Price MP. 2007. BBS Tropical Bryology Group: Progress in 2002. Field Bryology 92: 19-20.
Somewhat belatedly I can say that 2004 and 2005 were quiet years for the Tropical Bryology Group (TBG) as many of its members concentrated on their various non tropical bryological or non-bryological projects, and as the group began to develop its direction and objective for the coming years.
Newsletter and TBG membership 2004
The 19th newsletter of the TBG was produced in August 2004 and is available on the TBG section of the BBS website (under Bryology Portal - Tropical Bryology Group). This newsletter contains a tribute to the late hepaticologist Riclef Grolle, a report of the IAB meeting in Merida, Venezuela, information on the publication and availability of the Eustace Jones West African Hepatic Flora, information on new members, research activities of existing members, and research news from the bryology research group at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and at the Esterhazy College, Hungary. This year saw the addition of five new members to the TBG, bringing current membership up to sixty-nine in number.
During 2004, some TBG members has chance to meet other bryologists and familiarize themselves with the South American bryophyte flora, at the International Association of Bryologists (IAB) congress in Merida, Venezuela. This extremely convival meeting offered all a chance to find out about current research activities on bryophytes and interact with the active bryology group based in Merida.
Newsletter and TBG membership 2005
The 20th newsletter of the TBG was produced in September 2005, and is also available on the TBG section of the BBS website. This newsletter contains a report of the International Botanical Congress in Vienna (17-25 July 2005), information on the Hedwig-Schaegrichen types catalogue and bryophyte research news from the bryology group at The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, as well as information on new members and on the research activities of the existing members. One new member to the TBG was announced for 2005 with the total number of TBG members resting at sixty-nine members.
During 2005 the Guide to Bryophytes of sub-Saharan Africa (GBA) project was made more accessible through the launch of its website (http://www.gbaonline.org.uk/). The Mosses and Liverworts of Uganda project (MALOU) began publishing its taxonomic treatments in Volume 26 of Journal of Bryology thus facilitating the publication of all works related to the project. A project of interest to Africa bryophytes, and carried out by TBG members, was launched at the BM in the autumn of 2005. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation African Plants Initiative project funds the databasing and imaging of types of African origin in collections all over he world. More information on the project at the BM can be found in the TBG newsletter no. 21.
Members of the BBS with an interest, or potential interest, in tropical bryophytes are encouraged to join the TBG (contact the new TBG coordinator: Joanna Wilbraham at j.wilbraham@nhm.ac.uk).
Michelle Price, Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques, Case Postale 60, CH-1292 Chambèsy-GE, Switzerland; e-mail: Michelle.Price@cjb.ville-ge.ch.
