Overview of bryophyte flora research in Serbia with presentation of the Serbian BRYO database

Abstract

Bryophyte flora research in Serbia was rather sporadic until the end of the 19th century, when a group of mostly high-school teachers started researching bryophytes. This was the first fruitful period of exploration, with many new country records. Thereafter, not many researchers investigated bryophytes in Serbia, and the majority of chorological data came from vegetation, ecological, or palaeobotanical studies. This lasted until the 1990s, when a revival of bryophyte investigation occurred, bringing with it many floristic studies and new species records for the country. At the present time, Serbia is considered to be rich in bryophyte diversity, with as many as 797 species. However, further study and a critical approach to the bryophyte flora of Serbia are needed.

Keywords

• mosses
• liverworts
• state of knowledge
• history
• the Balkans
• bryology