Two additions to the moss flora of the South Shetland Islands in the maritime Antarctic

Mariusz Wierzgoń, Tomasz Suchan, Michał Ronikier

Abstract


Tortella fragilis (Drumm.) Limpr. (Pottiaceae) and Bryum nivale Müll. Hal. (Bryaceae) are recorded for the first time from the South Shetland Islands in the northern maritime Antarctic. They were discovered in the Admiralty Bay area on King George Island, the largest island of this archipelago. The two species are briefly characterized morphologically, their habitats are described, and their distribution in the Antarctic is mapped. Discovery of these species has increased the documented moss flora of King George Island to 67 species, strengthening it in the leading position among individual areas with the richest diversity of moss flora in Antarctica. Likewise, T. fragilis and B. nivale represent remarkable additions to the moss flora of the South Shetland Islands, which currently consists of 92 species and one variety, making this archipelago by far the richest bryofloristically amongst large geographic regions of the Antarctic. Comparison of recent (2018) and old (1985) photographs revealed a significant retreat of glacial cover and suggests that the collection site was likely opened for colonization only within the last several decades. The record of T. fragilis is biogeographically relevant, and constitutes an intermediate site between the species’ occurrences in the Antarctic Peninsula and southern South America. The present record of B. nivale is the fourth discovery of the species worldwide, which may be helpful for the future designation of the distribution of this extremely rare species.

Keywords


biodiversity; bryophytes; deglaciation; King George Island; maritime Antarctic; Southern Hemisphere

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ochyra R. The moss flora of King George island, Antarctica. Kraków: W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences; 1998.

Ochyra R. Schistidium lewis-smithii (Bryopsida, Grimmiaceae) − a new species from the maritime Antarctic, with a note on the Australian S. flexifolium. Nova Hedwigia. 2003;77:363–372. https://doi.org/10.1127/0029-5035/2003/0077-0363

Ochyra R. Schistidium leptoneurum species nova from the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Cryptogam Bryol. 2004;25(2):125–130.

Ochyra R, Lewis Smith RI, Bednarek-Ochyra H. The illustrated moss flora of Antarctica. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2008.

Li SP, Ochyra R, Wu PC, Seppelt RD, Cai MH, Wang HY, et al. Drepanocladus longifolius (Amblystegiaceae), an addition to the moss flora of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, with a review of Antarctic benthic mosses. Polar Biol. 2009;32:1415−1425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0636-z

Sollman P. The genus Bryoerythrophyllum (Musci, Pottiaceae) in Antarctica. Pol Bot J. 2015;60(1):19−25. https://doi.org/10.1515/pbj-2015-0004

Ellis LT, Aleffi M, Alegro A, Segota V, Asthana AK, Gupta R, et al. New national and regional bryophyte records, 48. J Bryol. 2016;38(3):235−259. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736687.2016.1206685

Marsz A, Rakusa-Suszczewski S. Charakterystyka ekologiczna rejonu Zatoki Admiralicji (Wyspa Króla Jerzego, Szetlandy Południowe). Kosmos. 1987;36(1):103−127.

Braun M, Gossmann H. Glacial changes in the areas of Admiralty Bay and Potter Cove, King George Island, maritime Antarctica. In: Beyer L, Bölter M, editors. Geoecology of Antarctic ice-free coastal landscapes. Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 75−89. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56318-8_6

Birkenmajer K. Mesozoic and Cenozoic stratigraphic units in parts of the South Shetland Islands and Northern Antarctic Peninsula (as used by the Polish Antarctic programmes). Studia Geologica Polonica. 2001;118:5−188.

Ochyra R, Váňa J. The hepatics of King George Island, with particular reference to the Admiralty Bay region (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Pol Polar Res. 1989;10(2):183−210.

Ochyra R, Váňa J. The hepatics reported from the Antarctic and an outline of their phytogeography. Pol Polar Res. 1989;10(2):211−229.

Ochyra R, Zander RH. The genera Didymodon and Bryoerythrophyllum (Pottiaceae) in Antarctica. J Bryol. 2002;24(1):33–44. https://doi.org/10.1179/037366802125000331

Jiménez JA, Ochyra R. Reinstatment of species rank for Didymodon gelidus (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae). Cryptogam Bryol. 2017;38(4):383–392. https://doi.org/10.7872/cryb/v38.iss4.2017.383

Ochyra R. Koponenia, a new pleurocarpous moss genus from Bolivia. J Bryol. 1985;13(4):479–486. https://doi.org/10.1179/jbr.1985.13.4.479

Ochyra R. On the taxonomy and family placement of the moss genus Limbella (C. Muell.) Broth. J Bryol. 1987;14(3):465–485.

Ochyra R. On the taxonomic position of Sciaromium lacustre Herz. & Rich. in Rich. J Bryol. 1986;14(1):109–115. https://doi.org/10.1179/jbr.1986.14.1.109

Saługa M, Ochyra R, Żarnowiec J, Ronikier M. Do Antarctic populations represent local or widespread phylogenetic and ecological lineages? Complicated fate of bipolar moss concepts with Drepanocladus longifolius as a case study. Org Divers Evol. 2018;18(3):263−278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-018-0372-8

Magill RM. Sphagnaceae − Grimmiaceae. In: Leistner EO, editor. Flora of southern Africa which deals with the territories of South Africa, Transkei, Lesotho, Swaziland, Bophuthatswana, South West Africa/Namibia, Botswana and Venda. Bryophyta. Part 1. Mosses. 1. Pretoria: Botanical Research Institute; 1981.

Fife AJ. Records of new or otherwise interesting mosses in New Zealand, including a new species. N Z J Bot. 1984;22:1−6. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1984.10425229

Vitt DH. A key and synopsis of the mosses of Campbell Island, New Zealand. N Z J Bot. 1974;12:185−210. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1974.10428861

Hyvönen J. Tortella fragilis (Pottiaceae) reported for southern South America. Bryologist. 1991;94:416−418. https://doi.org/10.2307/3243835

Ochyra R, Bednarek-Ochyra H, Lewis Smith RI. New and rare moss species from subantarctic South Georgia. Nova Hedwigia. 2002;74:121–147. https://doi.org/10.1127/0029-5035/2002/0074-0121

Ochyra R, Poulsen R. Four new moss records from Îles Kerguelen. J Bryol. 2003;25:136–138. https://doi.org/10.1179/037366803235001814

Ochyra R, Bednarek-Ochyra H, Lewis Smith RI. New and rare moss species from the Antarctic. Nova Hedwigia. 2008;87:457−477. https://doi.org/10.1127/0029-5035/2008/0087-0457

Müller C. Synopsis muscorum frondosorum omnium hucusque cognitorum. Pars prima – musci vegetationis acrocarpicae. Berolini: Sumptibus Alb. Foerstner; 1849. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.31

Ochyra R, Hertel H. Contribution to the moss flora of the subantarctic island Marion. Polish Botanical Studies. 1990;1:19−34.

Ochyra R, Bednarek-Ochyra H, Pócs T, Crosby MR. The moss Adelothecium bogotense in continental Africa, with a review of its world range. Bryologist. 1992;95:287–295. https://doi.org/10.2307/3243487

Bednarek-Ochyra H, Ochyra R, Buck WR. The genus Racomitrium (Grimmiaceae) in Brazil, with the first report of R. subsecundum in South America. Brittonia. 1999;51(1):93–105. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666564

Bednarek-Ochyra H, Ochyra R. A consideration of Bucklandiella (Bryophyta, Grimmiaceae) in South America, with a taxonomic re-assessment of Racomitrium looseri. Nova Hedwigia 2012;95(1–2):153−163. https://doi.org/10.1127/0029-5035/2012/0045

Ochyra R, van Rooy J. Distribution of Bucklandiella lamprocarpa (Grimmiaceae, Musci) in South Africa. Cryptogam Bryol. 2013;34(3):359–366. https://doi.org/10.7872/cryb.v34.iss3.2013.359

Bednarek-Ochyra H, Ochyra R. Diversity of Grimmiaceae subfam. Racomitrioideae in sub-Saharan Africa, including an addition of Bucklandiella striatipila to the moss flora of the continent. Cryptogam Bryol. 2013;34(1):3–12. https://doi.org/10.7872/cryb.v34.iss1.2013.3

Ronikier M, Schneeweiss GM, Schönswetter P. The extreme disjunction between Beringia and Europe in Ranunculus glacialis s. l. (Ranunculaceae) does not coincide with the deepest genetic split – a story of the importance of temperate mountain ranges in arctic–alpine phylogeography. Mol Ecol. 2012;21: 5561–5578. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12030

Sanz M, Schönswetter P, Vallès J, Schneeweiss GM, Vilatersana R. Southern isolation and northern long-distance dispersal shaped the phylogeography of the widespread, but highly disjunct, European high mountain plant Artemisia eriantha (Asteraceae). Bot J Linn Soc. 2014;174: 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12132

van der Putten N, Verbruggen C, Ochyra R, Verleyen E, Frenot Y. Subantarctic flowering plants: pre-glacial survivors or post-glacial immigrants? J Biogeogr. 2010;37:582–592. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02217.x

Birkenmajer K, Ochyra R, Olsson IU, Stuchlik L. Mid-Holocene radiocarbon-dated peat at Admiralty Bay, King George Island (South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica). Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Earth Sciences. 1985;33:7–13.

Ingólfsson Ó. Quaternary glacial and climate history of Antarctica. In: Ehlers J, Gibbard PL, editors. Quaternary glaciation extent and chronology. Part III. South America, Asia, Africa, Australasia, Antarctica. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2004. p. 3–43.

van der Putten N, Stieperaere H, Verbruggen C, Ochyra R. Holocene palaeoecology and climate history of South Georgia (sub-Antarctica) based on a macrofossil record of bryophytes and seeds. Holocene. 2004;14:382–392. https://doi.org/10.1191/0959683604hl714rp

van der Putten N, Verbruggen C, Ochyra R, Spassov S, de Beaulieu JL, de Dapper M, et al. Peat bank growth, Holocene palaeoecology and climate history of South Georgia (sub-Antarctica), based on a botanical macrofossil record. Quat Sci Rev. 2009;28:65−79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.023

Hodgson DA, Graham AGC, Roberts SJ, Bentley MJ, Cofaigh CÓ, Verleyen E, et al. Terrestrial and submarine evidence for the extent and timing of the Last Glacial Maximum and the onset of deglaciation on the maritime-Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. Quat Sci Rev. 2014;100:137–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.001

Ochyra R, Bednarek-Ochyra H, Lewis Smith RI. Schistidium deceptionense, another new endemic moss species from the Antarctic. Bryologist. 2003;106(4):569–574. https://doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745(2003)106[569:SDANMS]2.0.CO;2




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.3598

Journal ISSN:
  • 2083-9480 (online)
  • 0001-6977 (print; ceased since 2016)
This is an Open Access journal, which distributes its content under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, provided that the content is properly cited.
The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aims to follow the COPE’s principles.
The journal publisher is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association.
The journal content is indexed in Similarity Check, the Crossref initiative to prevent scholarly and professional plagiarism.
Publisher
Polish Botanical Society