Global moss diversity: spatial and taxonomic patterns of species richness

We have analysed the global patterns of moss species diversity based on a dataset created from checklists, online databases, and herbarium records. We collected more than 100 000 distribution records for over 400 different geographical units and standardized species taxonomy using the TROPICOS database of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Maps of overall moss species richness, as well as individual maps for taxonomic orders of mosses, are provided. Based on our dataset, we did not find a general latitudinal gradient of increasing moss diversity with decreasing latitude. Several areas of temperate broadleaf forests, boreal forests, and tundra show relatively high species richness that is comparable to tropical regions. Centres of moss diversity include the northern Andes, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Japan, as well as the Himalayan region, Madagascar, the East African Highlands, central Europe, Scandinavia, and British Columbia. Our dataset presents the first collection of moss species inventories with global coverage. It contributes to documentation and understanding of global biogeographic patterns in mosses, helps to identify gaps in floristic knowledge, and could prove to be a valuable resource to aid taxonomic and systematic revisions or assessments of species and genera, by quickly and easily supplying an overview of the geographic distribution of a given taxon.