Vegetation affinity of the moss species Meesia triquetra, Paludella squarrosa, Pseudocalliergon trifarium and Scorpidium scorpioides across European regions

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Authors

PETERKA Tomáš HÁJKOVÁ Petra MIKULÁŠKOVÁ Eva AUNINA Liene DÍTĚ Daniel PAWLIKOWSKI Pawel ŠTECHOVÁ Táňa HÁJEK Michal

Year of publication 2020
Type Article in Proceedings
Conference Contributions to morphology, taxonomy, distribution and ecology of bryophytes. Jiří Váňa in memoriam
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/nova_suppl/detail/150/94147/Vegetation_affinity_of_the_moss_species_Meesia_triquetra_Paludella_squarrosa_Pseudocalliergon_trifarium_and_Scorpidium_scorpioides_across_European_regions
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/nova-suppl/2020/133
Keywords bryophytes; fens; plant communities; relicts
Description Mosses Meesia triquetra, Paludella squarrosa, Pseudocalliergon trifarium, and Scorpidium scorpioides represent umbrella species of pristine rich fens. They are considered to be endangered taxa and glacial relicts in temperate Europe. We analysed species composition of vegetation with the target species in the Alps, Central Europe, the Baltic region and Fennoscandia. In all selected regions, mosses are associated with plant communities of the Stygio-Caricion limosae or Sphagno warnstorfii-Tomentypnion nitentis alliances. Species however display affinity to more vegetation types in Fennoscandia and partly in the Alps. We compared inter-regional differences in species’ occurrence along main environmental gradients using measured environmental variables and ecological indicator values. Sites of the target species are generally more nutrient-rich in Central Europe plus the Baltics and are of higher pH in the latter. In Central Europe, no difference between recently measured and reconstructed (historical) pH at sites of the target species were found. The possible reasons for inter-regional shifts in vegetation and habitat affinity were discussed. They include different level of habitat deterioration such as increased competition pressure in temperate Europe caused by increased nutrient availability, habitat connectivity, incompleteness of environmental gradient or existence of ecotypes.
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