XVI International Botanical Congess

Distribution patterns of bryophytes in Switzerland and corresponding global distribution patterns are compared. Due to a current mapping project the data for Switzerland are consistent, whereas global distribution data are rather inhomogeneous. Within a set of sixty taxa ten types of regional distribution are distinguished. The corresponding global distributions of these taxa belong to eight different types. This first screening did not reveal obvious correlations between regional and global distribution patterns. However, taxa with holarctic distribution tend to be restricted to mountain ranges in Switzerland. By refining the classification of distribution patterns and taking into account the ecology of the taxa, better evidence for this tendency and probably for further correlations may be obtained.