Kozhin, M.N., O.A. Belkina, A.Yu. Likhachev & E.A. Ignatova. Moss flora of the Ainov Islands, Barents Sea

Arctoa (2016) 25: 408–419

doi: 10.15298/arctoa.25.33

The bryoflora of the Ainov Islands is characterized as poor and incomplete; in total 66 species with 3 infraspecific taxa were found here. It is the lowest number of species known from island floras of the European Subarctic due to the small area, low habitat diversity and vast bird rookeries. In 1960–1980s huge colonies of Larus argentatus and Larus marinus populated the Islands thus provoking the process of ecosystem organic enrichment. As a result, Pleurozium schreberi, Paludella squarrosa and Plagiomnium elatum disappeared, Dicranum scoparium, Hylocomium splendens, Helodium blandowii, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus declined in occurrence in tundra-like communities and swamps, epilithic mosses became very rare and low-numbered. All the evidence taken into account, low resistance of mosses to intense bird-influenced eutrophication was observed.