Bryoflora of the Tsitsin’ Main Botanical Garden and its surroundings and its dynamics during the last 130 years

Abstract

This study summarizes the findings on the bryophyte flora of the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden since its foundation in 1945, incorporating additional data from the 1890s on the surrounding area. A survey conducted from 2021 to 2025 recorded 48 new species not found in the previous 1982–1985 survey. The most significant changes occurred among epiphytic bryophytes: 14 of the 18 species in this group first appeared after 1985, with half becoming common in the last 10–15 years. Conversely, mire species have almost completely disappeared, while the frequency of boreal forest floor species and moist soil bank species has declined. In total, 124 species were recorded in the 2021–2025 survey. The cumulative number of species known from the garden is 147 (including 1980s data), 155 (including 1940s data), and 180 when 1890s data from the immediate surroundings are included. The introduction of plant material did not significantly increase bryophyte diversity; however, several moss species from outside Central European Russia were introduced with rocks during the establishment of the Japanese garden and have persisted.