BRYOPHYTES IN MALAYSIA: DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

This presentation highlights the conservation significance of rare and endemic bryophytes in Malaysia and neighbouring regions. Many species are known only from a few localities, often restricted to specialised habitats in montane and submontane forests. Their narrow distributions and microhabitat preferences make them highly sensitive to habitat disturbance and climate change. Despite their ecological importance, most remain poorly studied, and their conservation status has not yet been formally assessed. Efforts to evaluate these taxa under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species are currently underway. The presentation emphasises the need for continued field exploration, taxonomic documentation, and habitat protection, particularly in key montane areas, to safeguard these unique components of Malaysia’s bryophyte diversity.

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ASSOC. PROF. DR. LEE GAIK EE

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

Dr. Lee Gaik Ee is a Malaysian bryologist and an Associate Professor at the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Her research spans three broad topics: the diversity and taxonomy of leafy liverworts in Southeast Asia; the historical biogeography and amber fossils of leafy liverworts; and the phytochemical analysis and biological activities of secondary metabolites of bryophytes. She has significantly advanced the field of liverwort taxonomy and nomenclature, contributing 20 new species, 2 varieties, 18 new combinations, and 1 nomination, named 1 new sub-tribe, and synonymised over 10 species. Her work includes 54 scientific papers, 15 proceedings, 3 books, and 5 book chapters, supported by seven liverwort-focused research grants as principal investigator. Dr. Lee also serves as Section Editor for the Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, Associate Editor for Hattoria and Check List, and as founding secretary of the Southeast Asian Bryologists and Lichenologists (SEABAL) group (2025 – 2027) as well as a member of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) Special Committee for Typification, Malaysian Nature Society, Malaysian Society of Applied Biology, and Society of Herbarium Curators. Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Award – Best Scientific Discovery (2025), Dr. Gaik Ee is Malaysia’s first and only liverwort specialist, advancing bryology across the Malesian and Southeast Asian regions through extensive networking and linkages with scientists and researchers all over the world.