Mosses, Lichen, Fungi - Biodiversity and Conservation BIOR11

The organism groups formerly known as Cryptogams – mosses, liverworts, lichen and fungi – are particularly diverse in Scandinavia. They are common and often dominant in a wide range of natural habitats. Therefore, Cryptogams have received much attention in practical conservation work during recent years. For example, so called ’signal species’ have been intensively used to identify ’key habitats’, i.e. especially valuable sites, usually with a long continuity and a high biodiversity.

The course covers terrestrial Cryptogams, i.e. mosses, liverworts, lichen, fungi, terrestrial algae and charophyte algae. A major focus of the course is to study plant material directly in the field. Therefore, the particpants visit a large number of biologically interesting sites, representing various cryptogam-rich habitats in S Sweden. Morphological characters andhabitat requirements of species are described directly in the field. The natural history of habitats and possible conservations measures are discussed at each site. Species determination is practiced at lab using ordinary light microscopes as well as dissecting microscopes. At the end of the course, the participants carry out a floristic inventory in a defined area.

Target groups
This course is intended for students planning a career with a focus on:

• Local or regional conservation planning
• Forestry and forestry administration
• Ecological consulting
• Teaching
• Environmental science
• Landscape planning

The course could be combined with courses such as Floristics- intermediate course BIOF03, Field Faunistics BIOF04, Conservation biology BIOR83, Plant evolution and adaptation BIOR77, Soil and Plant Ecology BIOR78 and Biological monitoring BIOR39.