Xiangbo Yin
This project addresses an urgent but underappreciated threat to biodiversity in tropical montane ecosystems—tourism-driven degradation of bryophytes and their associated microbiomes. Bryophytes, although often overlooked in conservation efforts, are critical ecosystem engineers. They support key microbial communities that drive essential functions such as nitrogen fixation, carbon cycling, and microhabitat stabilization. On Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Key Biodiversity Area in Malaysian Borneo, increasing tourism poses a major risk to these fragile communities.
Preliminary fieldwork on trailside bryophyte communities along Mount Kinabalu’s elevational gradient © Xiangbo Yin
We aim to assess the impact of tourist trails on bryophyte and microbial diversity across an elevational gradient (1900–3400 m) using a combination of field surveys and high-throughput 16S/ITS metabarcoding. By pairing bryophyte sampling with microbiome analysis and environmental monitoring, we will evaluate how disturbance alters community structure and ecological function. This represents the first microbiome-integrated bryophyte conservation study in Malaysia.
The project will directly support Sabah Parks’ conservation goals through collaborative activities such as ranger training, field surveys, and public workshops. Local researchers and Indigenous communities will be actively involved in fieldwork and educational outreach, ensuring long-term engagement and knowledge transfer. Expected outcomes include (1) a scientific report and peer-reviewed publication identifying tourism-sensitive bryophyte and microbial species, (2) a workshop for stakeholders to raise awareness and build capacity, and (3) policy briefs to support the inclusion of bryophytes and their microbiomes in Sabah’s conservation planning. In the longer term, the project aspires to establish a Bryophyte Conservation Center at Universiti Malaysia Sabah and advocate for bryophyte integration into Malaysia’s National Biodiversity Strategy.
Header image: The moss on Mount Kinabalu © Xiangbo Yin