England's Rare Mosses and Liverworts : : Their History, Ecology, and Conservation / / Ron D. Porley.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Porley, Ron D.,
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2013]; ©2013
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: Course Book
• Language: English
• Series: WILDGuides ; 100
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (224 p.) :; 3 illus. 165 color photos. 85 maps.

This is the first book to cover England's rare and threatened mosses and liverworts, collectively known as bryophytes. As a group, they are the most ancient land plants and occupy a unique position in the colonization of the Earth by plant life. However, many are at risk from habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and other factors. Britain is one of the world's best bryologically recorded areas, yet its mosses and liverworts are not well known outside a small band of experts. This has meant that conservation action has tended to lag behind that of more charismatic groups such as birds and mammals. Of the 916 different types of bryophyte in England, 87 are on the British Red List and are regarded as threatened under the strict criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This book aims to raise awareness by providing stunning photographs--many never before published--of each threatened species, as well as up-to-date profiles of 84 of them, including status, distribution, history, and conservation measures. The book looks at what bryophytes are, why they are important and useful, and what makes them rare; it also examines threats, extinctions, ex situ conservation techniques, legislation, and the impact of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. Provides the first treatment of England's rare and threatened mosses and liverworts Features stunning photographs--many never before published--of each species and many of their habitats Treats each species in a handy and attractive double-page layout Includes up-to-date profiles of 84 species, including status, distribution, history, and conservation measures Presents the first overview of English bryophyte conservation Offers invaluable guidance to people working in conservation in England, the British Isles, Europe, and beyond

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- What are bryophytes and why are they important? -- Rarity in bryophytes -- Conservation measures -- People and bryophyte conservation -- The Red List -- Overview of threatened English bryophytes -- The species profiles -- Introduction -- A-D -- E-P -- R-Z -- Losses - the English extinctions -- APPENDIX 1: British Red List species with post-2000 Welsh and Scottish records but not seen in England for over 50 years (Hill et al., 2008) -- APPENDIX 2: Species' Status Summary -- Glossary -- References -- Acknowledgements -- Index