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

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 spe- cies 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).