Bryophyte diversity in high and low Arctic Greenland

Bryophytes are a key component of arctic and tundra ecosystems both in relation to annual production of biomass and species diversity. While the biodiversity of vascular plants is relatively well-known for the two monitoring sites within the Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (Zackenberg and Kobbefjord), only little information is available on the diversity of the bryophytes at these sites. The present study aims firstly, at providing a contemporary inventory of the bryophyte diversity at the two sites. Secondly, at both sites this study established a number of permanent transects for monitoring the changes in bryophyte diversity over the years. The present study thus both provides a status of the current bryophyte diversity at the two sites, but also provides a detailed description of the vegetation composition of the individual monitoring plots along the transects. Reanalyzing of transects will give valuable information on response of bryophytes to climate change in a high- and low Arctic ecosystem. Thus the study fits very well with the first theme of the CAFF congress “Climate change: Arctic biodiversity, resilience and adaptation”