The moss flora of the Gaspé Peninsula (Quebec, Canada): list of species and preliminary analysis

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Botany
• Main Authors: Belland, René J., Favreau, Marc
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1988
• Subjects: Plant Science; Arctic; Canada
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b88-244; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b88-244

Extensive field studies and evaluation of previously published reports reveal a moss flora of at least 310 species for the Gaspé Peninsula. Forty species are reported for the first time from the peninsula, and Brachythecium glaciale is new to Quebec. While the Gaspé flora cannot be considered a distinctive one within the Gulf of St. Lawrence region, the large number of rare species is significant. Their presence in the Gaspé can be attributed to the diverse geology and topography of the peninsula. The bulk of the moss flora is clearly of boreal affinity, but many species have temperate, montane, or arctic – alpine distributions. Of special interest is the large proportion of species with various types of disjunct distributions, either within eastern North America or to other parts of the world, especially western North America. Some patterns strongly support the idea of survival in refugia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence region during the last glaciation.