Introduction. Following on from work on the European bryophyte Red List, the taxonomically and nomenclaturally updated spreadsheets used for that project have been expanded into a new checklist for the bryophytes of Europe. Methods. A steering group of ten European bryologists was convened, and over the course of a year, the spreadsheets were compared with previous European checklists, and all changes noted. Recent literature was searched extensively. A taxonomic system was agreed, and the advice and expertise of many European bryologists sought. Key results. A new European checklist of bryophytes, comprising hornworts, liverworts and mosses, is presented. Fifteen new combinations are proposed. Conclusions. This checklist provides a snapshot of the current European bryophyte flora in 2019. It will already be out-of-date on publication, and further research, particularly molecular work, can be expected to result in many more changes over the next few years.

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The role of dispersal in controlling the distribution of species at landscape scale (102–104 m) is still a matter of dispute. Here, we use the early colonization pattern of 23 epiphytic lichen species in a former tree‐less heathland landscape (170 km2) to test three hypotheses on how a landscape is colonized: A) mainly by long‐distance dispersal (LDD), B) by rare LDD events followed by limited local dispersal, and C) mainly by limited dispersal, resulting in a colonization front. The study system consisted of a chronosequence of 94 habitat patches constituting 0.4% of the landscape area, with a minimum inter‐site distance of 0.2 km. We used generalized linear mixed models with Bayesian inference to test predictions from the hypotheses. When age of sites and habitat area were accounted for, additional effects of geographical position of sites (distance from old sites, distance‐dependent relative propagule pressure, and distance from border of study area) on the probability of colonization by lichen species were small. Furthermore, species richness of sites did not depend on geographical position, either. Our results support a colonization process mainly governed by LDD at landscape scale, and that local stepwise colonization was not important. We argue that passively dispersed species with numerous small propagules tend to exhibit patchy populations with extensive dispersal at the landscape scale, rather than behaving like classical metapopulations.

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Colonization studies may function as natural experiments and have the potential of addressing important questions about community assembly. We studied colonization for a guild of epiphytic lichens in a former treeless heathland area of 170 km2 in southwest Norway. We investigated if epiphytic lichen species richness and composition on aspen (Populus tremula) trees corresponded to a random draw of lichen individuals from the regional species pool. We compared lichen communities of isolated young (55-120 yr) and old (140-200 yr) forest patches in the heathland area to those of aspen forest in an adjacent reference area that has been forested for a long time. All thalli (lichen bodies) of 32 selected lichen species on trunks of aspen were recorded in 35 aspen sites. When data for each site category (young, old, and reference) were pooled, we found the species richness by rarefaction to be similar for reference sites and old sites, but significantly lower for young sites. The depauperated species richness of young sites was accompanied by a skew in species composition and absence of several species that were common in the reference sites. In contrast, genetic variation screened with neutral microsatellite markers in the lichen species Lobaria pulmonaria showed no significant differences between site categories. Our null hypothesis of a neutral species assembly in young sites corresponding to a random draw from the regional species pool was rejected, whereas an alternative hypothesis based on differences in colonization capacity among species was supported. The results indicate that for the habitat configuration in the heathland area (isolated patches constituting < 0.4% of the area) lichen communities may need a colonization time of 100-150 yr for species richness to level off, but given enough time, isolation will not affect species richness. We suggest that this contradiction to expectations from classical island equilibrium theory results from low extinction rates.

DNA barcoding of a group of European liverwort species from the genus Herbertus was undertaken using three plastid (matK, rbcL and trnH-psbA) and one nuclear (ITS) marker. The DNA barcode data were effective in discriminating among the sampled species of Herbertus and contributed towards the detection of a previously overlooked European Herbertus species, described here as H. norenus sp. nov. This species shows clear-cut differences in DNA sequence for multiple barcode regions and is also morphologically distinct. The DNA barcode data were also useful in clarifying taxonomic relationships of the European species with some species from Asia and North America. In terms of the discriminatory power of the different barcode markers, ITS was the most informative region, followed closely by matK. All species were distinguishable by ITS alone, rbcL + matK and various other multimarker combinations.

To evaluate the efficiency by which fine-scale diversity hotspots capture threatened species in northern forests, we investigated the spatial distribution of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrolichens, and polypore fungi with 1-ha resolution (in 0.25-ha plots) within six approximately 2-km 2 forest landscapes in Norway. Of 1295 recorded species (118,000 records), 62 species (842 records) were on the Norwegian Red List, of which 7 species (12 records) were new to Norway. We studied the degree of clustering of different red-listed species among plots by comparing observed co-occurrence of red-listed species to a null model of random co-occurrence. Red-listed species were moderately clustered within study areas but less so within each forest type. Clustering was similar for areas with high and low densities of red-listed species. However, the proportion of records captured in rarity hotspots (plots with the highest number of red-listed species) depended on both the total number of records of red-listed species per area and the degree of clustering of species among plots. The 5% highest-ranking rarity hotspots captured, on average, 59% of red-listed species and 23% of all records of red-listed species in study areas, compared with 56% and 18% captured by hotspots selected from a random distribution of species, respectively. Hotspots based on the most species-rich plots (richness hotspots) were significantly less effective than rarity hotspots in capturing red-listed species and their records. Based on the observed pattern of species co-occurrence and the high proportion of area seemingly occupied by red-listed species in mature forest, we hypothesize that 20-25% of the populations of red-listed species may be located within rarity hotspots constituting 5% at the scale of 1 ha. We conclude that limited spatial overlap of species constitutes an important constraint on the efficiency of a fine-scale hotspot conservation strategy, such as the "woodland key habitats" (0.1-10 ha) currently mapped and protected in northern European forests.Resumen: Para evaluar la eficiencia de la captación de especies amenazadas en bosques boreales, investigamos la distribución espacial de plantas vasculares, briofitas, macrolíquenes y un hongo poliporáceo con una resolución de 1 ha (parcelas de 0.25 ha) en seis paisajes boscosos de ∼2-km 2 en Noruega. De 1295 especies registradas (118,000 registros), 62 especies (842 registros) estaban en La Lista Roja Noruega, de las cuales 7 especies (12 registros) fueron nuevas para Noruega. Estudiamos el nivel de agrupamiento de las diferentes especies en listas rojas entre parcelas comparando la co-ocurrencia observada de especies en listas rojas con un modelo nulo de co-ocurrencia aleatoria. Las especies en listas rojas estaban moderadamente agrupadas dentro de lasáreas de estudio, más que dentro de cada tipo de bosque. EL agrupamiento fue similar enáreas con densidades altas y bajas de especies en listas rojas. Sin embargo, la proporción de registros captados eń areas de rareza crítica (parcelas co...

We investigated the relationship between site productivity and diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, and polypore fungi in forests based on species richness data in 0.25 ha forest plots (grain size), selected from six 150–200 ha study areas (focus), and spanning over a latitudinal distance of 1350 km (extent) in Norway. We 1) searched for prevailing productivity‐diversity relationships (PDRs), 2) compared PDRs among taxonomic groups and species found in different micro‐habitats, and 3) investigated the effect of increasing plot (grain) size on PDRs. Using vegetation types as a surrogate for site productivity, we found a general pattern of increasing species richness with site productivity. On average total species richness doubled with a ten‐fold increase in productivity. Lichens PDRs stood out as less pronounced and more variable than for other species groups investigated. PDRs of species associated with downed logs tended to level off at high‐productive sites, a pattern interpreted as an effect of disturbance. Increasing the grain size >10‐fold did not change the proportional difference in species richness between sites with high and low productivity.