Harald Kürschner Knihy

This bryophyte flora of Southwest Asia offers a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on liverworts, mosses, and hornworts in the region, which includes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sinai Peninsula, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (including Socotra Island). It details 1193 taxa (229 liverworts, 959 mosses, 5 hornworts) and nearly 2000 names and synonyms, presented in dichotomous keys with annotations for critical or misidentified species. Fourteen taxa are noted as new country/regional records, accompanied by their collection data. The flora encompasses all known bryophytes in this diverse area, many of which are key initial colonizers of bare rocks and soil surfaces in steppes and deserts, playing a crucial role in vascular plant colonization and ecological succession. As indicators of ecological disturbances and air quality, these species are vital for understanding phytodiversity and ecosystem evolution. This resource serves as an up-to-date tool for preliminary identification of bryophytes and aims to foster interest in this often-overlooked plant group. It is recommended for botanists and ecologists focused on bryophyte flora, vegetation, biodiversity, and nature conservation.

This volume is dedicated to Professor Wolfgang Frey to commemorate his formal retirement from The Freie Universität Berlin. It reflects his wide range of research interest, spanning from bryophytes (systematics, morphology, phytosociology, phytogeography, ecology, dispersal and distribution) to vascular plant geobotany. The volume includes contributions from the following fields: morphology-based and molecular-based taxonomy, phytosociology, life-strategy and dispersal of bryophytes, clonal reproduction and population structurs of phanerophytes, ecology, physiology and vegetation. Most of the papers have been written by colleagues, former scholars and friends to honor his scientific and academic career.

This flora comprehensively details the bryophytes of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra island, featuring keys to all species, occurrence notes across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, along with distribution maps. It encompasses one hornwort, 50 liverworts, and 173 mosses, totaling 224 species in the region. The work includes an overview of bryofloristic exploration, phytochorial elements, and a phytogeographical analysis of the bryoflora. The monsoon-influenced xerotropical southwestern and southern border mountains of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra showcase numerous Palaeotropical and Afro-montane taxa, highlighting strong floristic ties between southern Arabia and Africa. Conversely, the arid and semi-arid inner Arabian regions are characterized by drought-adapted taxa of xerothermic-Pangaean and circum-Tethyan origin, exhibiting xeromorphic adaptations suitable for desert life. The phytogeographical analysis reveals a distinct phytochorial border across the Peninsula, often aligned with climatic conditions, particularly the winter rainfall/summer rainfall divide, influencing the distribution of thalloid and leafy liverworts, as well as acrocarpous and pleurocarpous mosses.