STUDIES ON THE STATUS OF RARE AND ENDANGERED BRYOPHYTES IN SWITZERLAND

This study investigates the status of endangered bryophytes in Switzer land, as an example of the situation in large parts of Central Europe, The decline in species and populations is quantified by examination o f 522 selected literature ol herbarium records. They belong to taxa cl assified in the Red Data List of Swiss bryophytes as endangered (E) or rare (R). In a field survey, 31% of 195 populations proved to be stil l present. The proportion of confirmed populations differed widely bet ween the three main natural regions of Switzerland-50 out of 109 withi n the Alps, sh out of 39 in the Jura mountains and only foul out of 46 in the densely populated lowland area of the Mittelland. Recommendati ons are made for practical conservation measures for each of the popul ations recently confirmed or discovered.