Publications

This document presents the rarest bryophyte species (hornworts, liverworts and mosses) in Québec, those with a SH or S1 rank according to NatureServe’s methodology. These are species at greatest risk, from a conservation standpoint. Based upon current state of knowledge, 182 taxa have been selected, representing 22 percent of the province’s bryological flora. Initially derived from taxa that were infrequently collected, this list was completed with information from recent inventories and more specific field research. Synthesized information is presented for each species, regarding its habitat, distribution and threat level along with a drawing and a photograph. The most up-to-date nomenclature is presented for each species along with synonymy. A summary portrait synthetizing all treated species is included as well. By cross-referencing our data with those from Québec’s protected areas network, one notes that more than 80% of rare bryophyte species are located within a protected area, sheltering over a third of rare bryophytes species occurrences. The objective of this work was first and foremost to improve the knowledge of bryophytes in Québec, an overlooked group of organisms. This represents Québec’s first effort to identify bryophyte species requiring protection. As a next step, these rare species will be added to the provincial list of threatened or vulnerable plant species, under Québec’s Threatened or Vulnerable Species Act.