Bryophyte Locality Data From the Near and Middle East 1775-2019 Vol. 1

Book excerpt: With the first volume of 'Bryophyte locality data from the Near and Middle East', all published data of hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) and liverworts (Marchantiophyta) are presented to provide a solid data base and background for the whole area. Starting with the beginning of the collection activities (e.g., Forsskål 1775) it covers the whole period till the end of 2019. It is the first comprehensive catalogue for these organisms including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sinai Peninsula, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (incl. Socotra). Knowledge of species and its distribution is essential for floristic inventories, species catalogues, and further tools such as community structure, composition, biomonitoring, nature conservation, life history traits (morphological, anatomical and physiological adaptations), biochemical compounds (secondary metabolits, antimycotica). In addition, species distribution and occurrence today and in former time, is of basic importance in understanding plant diversity and eco-system processes, development, function and changes, especially with regard to the present increasing human influence and global warming and future tools. Although hornworts and liverworts belong to a group of mostly very small organisms that often are neglected and/or overlooked, they play an important and outstanding role in many habitats in nearly all countries and landscapes of the Near and Middle East as they are found in the understory of forests and woodlands, as pioneers on soil and rock, in steppes and deserts (organisms of "harsh environment"), in swampy areas and bogs, or as epiphytes on tree trunks. As scientific interest in plant diversity drastically increases recently, the ongoing interest stimulated us, to prepare this kind of data base to provide a solid background of what is known in the different countries of the Near and Middle East. It is a further step to integrate this large area into the Global Network of floristic knowledge and the tools of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.