Mosses in the Azores

Mosses are everywhere! Connecticut, Japan, and the Azores (a group of islands off the coast of Portugal) just to name a few. Information came out over Bryonet recently about an online biodiversity portal that has been developed for the plants and animals of the Azores. The website can be viewed in Spanish, Portuguese and English. They break the database down into the specific groups of plants and animals, with an entire database devoted to the bryophytes. There is a species list that you can browse through or you can search for your favorite genus.

I ran a little search and discovered that my research moss Funaria hygrometrica is located on two of the nine islands. When I clicked on a particular island a 500 X 500 meter distribution map is displayed, which is quite helpful for narrowing down hunting areas when searching for moss.

Click here to check out the Azorean Biodiversity Portal.