Authors:
Dierk Michaelis
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
distribution, habitat-diversity, sphagnum, taxonomy
Documentfile:
Michaelis 2012: World of Sphagnum – Distribution Pattern as a Reflection of Ecology and Taxonomy
Summary:
Theme I. Inventory, stratigraphy and conservation of mires and peatlands
Summary
Sphagnum peat mosses occur with around 300 species on almost all continents, mainly in northern South-America, North-America and east and north-east Asia as well as in Europe (Michaelis 2011). Peat mosses cover large areas in mires of the northern hemisphere but the global species diversity pattern is not related to the area of mires. Besides peatlands Sphagna colonize different mineral substrates, particularly in the humid tropics. The diversity pattern reflects not only habitat diversity but also the history of taxonomic research. In recent years taxonomical work has boomed in the neotropics and in the higher northern regions. Nevertheless, the recent regional Sphagnum species assemblages still reflect an unbalance in taxonomic research.