Biogeographical Characterization of the Bryological Flora of the “Montagna di Torricchio” Nature Reserve (Central Italy)

Abstract

The present work examines the bryological flora of the “Montagna di Torricchio” Nature Reserve in order to increase knowledge about the biodiversity of the entire area. Specimen collection was conducted over the years 1975–2003 by various authors. The survey revealed 181 bryophyte taxa of which 19 were liverworts and 162 were mosses. In addition, further analysis assessed which families occur in the same proposed categories, and to what degree, in order to obtain more information on their distribution and ecology. The distribution of species frequency by chorological category - cosmopolitan, circumpolar and Eurasiatic - shows that the families richest in species are the most represented in the Torricchio Reserve. The general rate of the percentages of the chorological elements in the reserve’s bryological flora confirms that the temperate element dominates, closely followed by the boreal and oceanic-Mediterranean elements. The factor that promotes the occurrence of the other elements, resulting in a generally higher level of diversity, is the presence of niches with special microclimatic conditions that differ from the surrounding context.