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Bryophyte and vascular plant species richness in boreo-nemoral moist forests and mires

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Abstract

We compare species richness of bryophytes and vascular plants in Estonian moist forests and mires. The material was collected from two wetland nature reserves. Bryophyte and vascular plant species were recorded in 338 homogeneous stands of approximately 1 ha in nine forest and two mire types. Regional species pools for bryophytes and vascular plants were significantly correlated. The correlations between the species richnesses of bryophytes and vascular plants per stand were positive in all community types. The relative richnesses (local richness divided by the regional species pool size) were similar for bryophyte species and for vascular plant species. This shows that on larger scales, conservation of the communities rich in species of one taxonomic plant group, maintains also the species richness of the other. The minimum number of stands needed for the maintenance of the regional species pool of typical species for the every community type was calculated using the species richness accumulation curves. Less stands are needed to maintain the bryophyte species pools (300–5300 for bryophytes and 400–35 000 for vascular plants).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany and Ecology, University of Tartu, 40 Lai Str., 51005, Tartu, Estonia

    Nele Ingerpuu, Kai Vellak, Toomas Kukk & Meelis Pärtel

  2. Institute of Zoology and Botany, Estonian Agricultural University, 181 Riia str., 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Nele Ingerpuu, Kai Vellak & Toomas Kukk

  3. Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2

    Meelis Pärtel

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  1. Nele Ingerpuu
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  2. Kai Vellak
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  3. Toomas Kukk
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  4. Meelis Pärtel
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Ingerpuu, N., Vellak, K., Kukk, T. et al. Bryophyte and vascular plant species richness in boreo-nemoral moist forests and mires. Biodiversity and Conservation 10, 2153–2166 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013141609742

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