The phytogeographical elements of hepatic flora from Northern Finland to Lithuania

Sinikka Piippo & Nijole Kalinauskaite

The purpose of the project is to study the gradual change in the constituents of the hepatic flora along a north–south axis from northernmost Finland to Lithuania through north boreal – middle boreal – south boreal – hemiboreal – temperate vegetation zones. This kind of research on hepatics through a gradient 1700 kms long has not been performed previously in northern latitudes. Even though the hepatic flora of Finland is generally well known, detailed studies are few. Lithuanian hepatics have not been studied thoroughly until recently.

We selected fairly well investigated areas within this gradient to gain a reliable picture in element changes.  The phytogeography of the hepatic floras of seven areas,  four (4) in Finland , one (1) in Lithuania , and two (2) in Russia have so far been compared: Enontekiö and Kutsa Nature Reserve in the north boreal zone, Tohmajärvi of North Karelia in the south boreal zone, Julmat Lammet of North Häme in the south boreal-middle boreal zone, Nuuksio National Park of Nylandia in the hemiboreal-south boreal zone, Hogland/Suursaari in the hemiboreal zone, and Lithuania in the temperate-hemiboreal zones. At the moment Kalinauskaite and Piippo are compiling an analysis of Bromarv Province in SW Finland to include it in the same research project.

The project of Hepatic flora of South Ural is a part of this phytogeographical study, since the final purpose is to widen our research to W – E gradient to study the phytogeographical changes in hepatic floras from western oceanic Europe to clearly continental areas in the east.

Literature

Kalinauskaite, N. & Piippo, S. 2000: Hepatics (Bryophyta) of Tohmajärvi, North Karelia, Finland. — Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica 76: 47–55.

Piippo, S. & Kalinauskaite, N. 2006: Floristic elements of the hepatic flora from Northern Finland to Lithuania. — Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica  82: 1–9.