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New species and changes in the bryophyte flora of the Mecsek valleys (Hungary)
157–176Views:224The paper discusses the bryophyte flora of 77 sites in the Mecsek Mountains, mainly in deeper valleys. It includes species that are new to the area’s flora and/or endangered in Hungary, as well as mosses that have become more widespread or locally abundant compared to data from 1968 and 1983. The names of the locations, their geographical centers (centroids), and the grid unit IDs of the Hungarian Flora Mapping Programme (HFMP), where the sites are located, are listed and referenced according to their number in the list. Some of the species are national rarities, such as Scleropodium touretii, newly recorded in the Mecsek in 2023. Its second known occurrence in Hungary is reported in the Enumeration. We detail the occurrences of several species new to South Transdanubia, including Dicranum spurium, Diplophyllum albicans, Hypnum jutlandicum, Isothecium myosuroides, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegiella curviseta, Riccardia palmata, and Sciuro-hypnum plumosum. Additionally, species newly recorded from the Mecsek Mountains include Fontinalis antipyretica, Leptodon smithii, Plagiomnium ellipticum, Pseudocampylium radicale, and Tortula brevissima. For two taxa, we present data of importance not only for the Mecsek, but also for the North-Hungarian Mts: Riccardia palmata, new for the Tornai-karszt, and Dicranum spurium, for which we confirm a very old record in the Zemplén Mts. We also note the widespread, sometimes massive occurrence of some aquatic and subaquatic mosses, e.g. Rhynchostegiella teneriffae, Hygrohypnum luridum, which have been recorded only once in the mountains in the last 50 years. The taxonomically uncertain Hygroamblystegium fluviatile with similar habitat requirements can now be found widely throughout the mountains. New populations of Palustriella commutata, considered endangered and declining in the country, have been found in the Mecsek. The expansion of (sub-)aquatic species is particularly surprising in the light of recent hydroecological studies indicating that the streams in the Mecsek are drying up. The situation is similar regarding Rhynchostegium rotundifolium, previously thought to be a Tilio-Acerion (slope and ravine forest) species, which is legally protected in Hungary and only had one record from the Mecsek in the last century. This forest species is now found in peri-urban, sub-urban, slightly to moderately disturbed and secondary habitats throughout the mountains. Similar to its preference in Germany, outside of semi-natural habitats it occurs mainly on built structures in forest edges, ruins, abandoned mine sites, often in stands mixed with black locust and contaminated with litter. Microeurhynchium pumilum, which prefers sub-Mediterranean and sub-Atlantic climate, shady and humid habitats, has become one of the most widespread and abundant forest bryophytes in the Mecsek, in contrast to its few records 60 years ago. Half (50%) of the new mosses in the flora of the Mecsek can be connected to the cooler boreal biome, while 21% is associated with the milder Mediterranean-Atlantic biome. The average of MAT (mean annual daily mean air temperatures averaged over one year) and MAP (accumulated precipitation amount over one year) of the 14 new species according to BET (Bryophytes of Europe Traits) indicates areas with much lower temperatures (7.7°C) than in Hungary, but with precipitation conditions (749 mm) similar to those in the Mecsek. The vast majority of the new species are extremely rare in Hungary, and are inconsistent with current climate warming trends. In contrast to the mosses with striking increase in records, the detection of new species is likely due to chance, in addition to systematic research at finer spatial scales, rather than to local expansion of the species. However, in the case of expanding and abundant species, it is still an open question whether their dynamics compared to 40-60 year old references are apparent or real: the result of sampling bias in previous surveys or a consequence of climate change. In any case, the abundance of the above mentioned bryophytes in the Mecsek is not consistent with their current Hungarian Red List threat classification, and this cannot be attributed to changes in definitions since 2010. The detected distribution and abundance, as well as the increase in the number of new species in the country within a decade, highlights the need for an updated Red List of Hungarian bryophytes.
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Survey on the bryophyte flora of the kurgans along the river Hernád (Hungary)
153–161Views:514This paper presents the results of the first bryofloristic survey in kurgans from North East Hungary. Altogether 41 taxa (1 liverwort and 40 mosses) were recorded from nine burial mounds. The most frequent mosses were Brachythecium rutabulum, Tortula acaulon var. acaulon and Barbula unguiculata from the localities. I found several infrequent bryophyte species on the surveyed Hungarian kurgans, such as Acaulon muticum, Acaulon triquetrum, Pterygoneurum subsessile, Riccia ciliata, Tortula caucasica, Trichostomum brachydontium and Trichostomum crispulum. There was no correlation between the number of bryophytes and the area of the kurgans. The proportion of the annual shuttle life strategy, i.e. species with a very short life span, is relatively high compared to other recent studies from Hungary (e.g. Buda arboretum and Balaton village), thereby these habitats may be potential refuges for ephemeral bryophytes.
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Bryophyte flora of the Arboretum of Szarvas (Hungary, Békés county)
140–152Views:504In this study we present the current moss and liverwort flora of the Arboretum of Szarvas. The observations were made in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Altogether 95 bryophyte taxa (7 liverworts and 88 mosses) were identified. Most of them are considered to be common in Hungary, however some species are rare in the Great Hungarian Plain: Lophocolea coadunata, Climacium dendroides, Hylocomiadelphus triquetrus, Pleurozium schreberi, Polytrichum formosum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Ulota crispula, Zygodon rupestris. These results also confirm the conservational and scientific value of the arboretum.
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Bruchia flexuosa (Schwägr.) Müll. Hal. a true peculiarity in the Hungarian bryoflora
193-201Views:337The fifth European occurrence of the moss species Bruchia flexuosa possessing a holarctic distribution range with a North American centre was encountered in Hungary. Outside of the North American continent only two Asian (both from Japan) and four European occurrences from four different countries (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia) have hitherto been reported. Apart from the recent Japan findings and the Croatian record observed in 1987, all other European records date back to the 19th century. Our paper reports the circumstances of the Hungarian occurrence along with a short descriptions and photographic illustrations of both the species and its habitat.
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Taxiphyllum densifolium (Taxiphyllaceae) and other rare bryophytes of the Mecsek valleys (SW Hungary)
3-16Views:395In this paper, we deal with threatened and/or legally protected bryophytes found in the shady, forested valleys of the Mecsek Mountains, which are rare in national and/or local terms. Taxiphyllum densifolium, a rare moss in Europe has stable colonies with sporophytes in two valleys. This study is the first to describe the spore characteristics of this species. The previously considered unique and legally protected Rhynchostegiella teneriffae is nowadays so widespread in the Mecsek that it can no longer be considered a vulnerable species (VU) in Hungary. We present the first population of the legally protected Neckera pennata in Tolna county, and we also report on the recent, unusual occurrence of the data-deficient (DD) Fossombronia wondraczekii. We also list new populations of three other endangered (EN) species, Blindiadelphus recurvatus, Palustriella commutata and Porella arboris-vitae. Several vulnerable (VU) taxa such as Blepharostoma trichophyllum, Porella cordaeana, Sciuro-hypnum flotowianum, Seligeria pusilla, as well as new occurrences of near threatened (NT) mosses such as Microeurhynchium pumilum (with sporophytes), Phaeoceros carolinianus are documented. In addition, the data on Rhynchostegium rotundifolium in Jakab Mountain, which has not been recorded for more than 50 years, is confirmed. The difficulties of differentiating Hygroamblystegium species are briefly discussed.
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Bryofloristial studies in an abandoned alumina refinery near Almásfüzitő, NW Hungary (a case study)
206-212Views:228Based on data collected during field surveys between 2012–2014, the author presents the results of bryofloristical studies carried out in an abandoned alumina refinery. The author has detected altogether 46 bryophytes from the territory, of which 15 species are new to the bryoflora of the settlement. In the surroundings of the industrial zone (where alumina production was carried out until 1997) some bryophytes, which are classified as least concern (Brachythecium albicans, Brachythecium tommasinii, Rhynchostegium murale) and near threatened status in the Hungarian Red List (Aloina aloides, Brachythecium glareosum, Dicranella staphylina, Didymodon insulanus, Orthotrichum pumilum), can be found.
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Distribution of Campylopus introflexus (Hedw.) Brid. in Hungary
212-219Views:289Based on field work data collected in 2013–2014, the authors generated a map of the current distribution of Campylopus introflexus for Hungary. Besides the coordinates and geographic name of the localities, an estimated size of the population, the type of habitat and substrate, the co-occurring moss species and affected vegetation types were also recorded. Altogether, 18 stands were found in 8 geographical regions of Hungary, in some cases Campylopus introflexus was found to be a new species record for the moss flora of the respective region (e.g. Dunántúli-dombság, Nyugatmagyarországi peremvidék). In addition to the pine plantations from where it was detected formerly, the mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, the acidophilous oak woodlands and man-made habitats were found to be also proper habitats for this moss taxon. Earlier data mainly originated from pine deadwood, the recently discovered stands were found on acidic soil surfaces. The most important cooccurring moss species were the followings: Hypnum cupressiforme, Polytrichum piliferum, P. formosum, Pohlia nutans and Ceratodon purpureus. Campylopus introflexus had prominently high coverage in the acidophilous oak forests of the Mecsek Mts, where it occurs on acidic sandstone covered with a thin debris of the bedrock. This neophyte moss is widely distributed in Hungary, and has stable populations. Further expansion is expected in the subatlantic and submountain regions of the country, and in regions characterised by acidic soils and pine plantations.
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Interesting moss and liverwort records from the Western Mecsek Mts (South Transdanubia, Hungary)
29-38Views:226During an extensive field work in the acidophilous forests and fens of the Western Mecsek Mts. current localities of several species, which haven’t been recognised here for 50 years, were revealed (e.g. Bazzania trilobata, Diphyscium foliosum, Scapania nemorea). The authors also found some new stands of regionally and/or locally rare taxa (e.g. Buxbaumia aphylla, Dicranum tauricum, Jamesoniella autumnalis, Lepidozia reptans, Sphagnum squarrosum) as well as species new to the moss flora of the Mecsek Mts. (e.g. Aulacomnium androgynum, A. palustre, Calliergon cordifolium, Hedwigia stellata). Both investigated habitat types were found to be infected by invasive moss (Campylopus introflexus) and liverwort (Riccia rhenana) species. It is noteworthy that most of the species were found in winter or at the beginning of spring, when most vascular plants are inactive and their coverage is negligible. In this period moss and liverwort taxa are active, and are therefore easily noticeable. The authors raise the possibility that the expansion of Dicranum tauricum in Hungary is a consequence of former coniferous (especially Pinus spp.) plantations, since the old, dead trunks of pine species can serve as stepping stones to colonization for this taxon.
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New montane species in the Hungarian bryophyte flora
16-26Views:879During a bryofloristical investigation in the vicinity of Ómassa (Miskolc) in the Bükk Mountains (NE Hungary), three montane-boreal bryophyte species new to the Hungarian bryoflora were collected. Encalypta spathulata Müll.Hal. was found on the ledges of limestone cliffs of Vörös-kő Hill as well as on the rocky debris among roots of a fallen tree lying under the cliffs. Hydrogonium croceum (Brid.) Jan Kučera and Orthothecium rufescens (Dicks. ex Brid.) Schimp. were found in the crevices of dolomite cliffs on the north-facing steep slope of Jávor Hill. While the latter two species are widespread in European Mountains, E. spathulata is considered to be a rare species, and is assessed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN red list.
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Bryofloristical study in the Brunszvik manor park in Martonvásár, Hungary
198–206Views:269This is the first bryofloristic study in the Martonvásár manor park. In our survey in 2015, 56 species (6 liverworts and 50 mosses) were found in the park. Most of them are considered to be common in Hungary, but an endangered (Eurhynchium speciosum), a vulnerable (Orthotrichum patens) and five near-threatened species (Aphanorrhegma patens, Orthotrichum obtusifolium, Orthotrichum pumilum, Pseudocrossidium revolutum, Riccia cavernosa) were also found. These results point out the nature conservation value of the manor park.