Contributions to the bryophyte flora of the Pešter Plateau, SW Serbia

211 bryophytes (37 liverworts and 174 mosses) were recently collected in the Pešter plateau (SW Serbia). Of these collections, five species (Riccia canaliculata, Scapania praetervisa, Bryum canariense, Myurella sibirica, Pseudoleskeella rupestris) were found to be new records for Serbia. Four species (Lophozia ascendens, Buxbaumia viridis, Hamatocaulis vernicosus, Myurella sibirica) are included in the Red data book of European bryophytes. An additional 19 taxa can be regarded as rare in the Balkans

Készülőben az új Európai Moha Vörös Könyv = The new Red Data Book of European Bryophytes in preparation

The new Red Data Book of European Bryophytes is the most important recent project of the European Committee for Conservation of Bryophytes, and the basis of bryophyte conservation in most European countries. The first edition, published in 1995, is now in urgent need of updating. Since its publication, our knowledge of the bryophytes of Europe has been considerably improved, especially concerning taxonomy and distribution. The work has started: a comprehensive table, listing the occurrence and Red List status of each species, in each European country, has been prepared. A short list of candidate species for IUCN threat assessment was established by eliminating species known with certainty to be of least concern. Of 2140 bryophyte species known to occur in Europe, 241 liverworts and 721 mosses were selected for further consideration. Among them, 28 liverworts and 98 mosses occur in Hungary. Examples of some species occurring in Hungary are presented below to show which criteria are used to select species for the European candidate list. With 12 fi gures

An insight into the bryophyte flora of the Ibar gorge and its surroundings (Central and SW Serbia)

A total of 126 bryophyte taxa (12 liverworts and 114 mosses) were collected in the Ibar gorge and its surroundings. The climate of the gorge receives Mediterranean influence, hence almost one fourth part of the species found are Mediterranean, sub-Mediterranean, or sub-Atlantic elements. Several rare species in Serbia and in the Balkans can be found in the territory (e.g. Bryum gemmiferum, Dialytrichia mucronata, Didymodon nicholsonii, Grimmia lisae, Gymnostomum viridulum, Hygroamblystegium humile, Orthotrichum obtusifolium, Syntrichia latifolia). One species (Buxbaumia viridis) is included in the Bern Convention and the European Union Habitats and Species Directives. The Ibar gorge maintains a unique bryophyte assemblage due to the serpentine bedrock and continental, Mediterranean climatic influence, which are the main characteristics of the region

Contributions to the bryophyte flora of croatia III. Plitvička jezera National Park and adjacent areas

Bryological fi eld surveys in Plitvička jezera National Park and adjacent areas (Slunjčica river and Vrhovinsko polje karst fi eld) carried out in 2012 and 2013 resulted in a list of 207 species (39 liverworts and 168 mosses). Two species are reported for the fi rst time from Croatia (Ephemerum minutissimum and Pohlia annotina). Six species are included in the Red data book of European bryophytes (Buxbaumia viridis, Dicranum viride, Hamatocaulis vernicosus, Anomodon rostratus,Rhynchostegiella tenuicaulis and Taxiphyllum densifolium). The first three are listed in the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats and Species Directive as well; in addition, other species, especially Sphagnum spp. rare in SE Europe were also located in the area

Direct peptide bioconjugation/PEGylation at tyrosine with linear and branched polymeric diazonium salts

Direct polymer conjugation at peptide tyrosine residues is described. In this study Tyr residues of both leucine enkephalin and salmon calcitonin (sCT) were targeted using appropriate diazonium salt-terminated linear monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s (mPEGs) and poly(mPEG) methacrylate prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization. Judicious choice of the reaction conditions-pH, stoichiometry, and chemical structure of diazonium salt-led to a high degree of site-specificity in the conjugation reaction, even in the presence of competitive peptide amino acid targets such as histidine, lysines, and N-terminal amine. In vitro studies showed that conjugation of mPEG 2000 to sCT did not affect the peptide's ability to increase intracellular cAMP induced in T47D human breast cancer cells bearing sCT receptors. Preliminary in vivo investigation showed preserved ability to reduce [Ca 2+] plasma levels by mPEG 2000-sCT conjugate in rat animal models. © 2012 American Chemical Society

The peatland map of Europe

Based on the ‘European Mires Book’ of the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG), this article provides a composite map of national datasets as the first comprehensive peatland map for the whole of Europe. We also present estimates of the extent of peatlands and mires in each European country individually and for the entire continent. A minimum peat thickness criterion has not been strictly applied, to allow for (often historically determined) country-specific definitions. Our ‘peatland’ concept includes all ‘mires’, which are peatlands where peat is being formed. The map was constructed by merging national datasets in GIS while maintaining the mapping scales of the original input data. This ‘bottom-up’ approach indicates that the overall area of peatland in Europe is 593,727 km². Mires were found to cover more than 320,000 km² (around 54 % of the total peatland area). If shallow-peat lands (< 30 cm peat) in European Russia are also taken into account, the total peatland area in Europe is more than 1,000,000 km2, which is almost 10 % of the total surface area. Composite inventories of national peatland information, as presented here for Europe, may serve to identify gaps and priority areas for field survey, and help to cross-check and calibrate remote sensing based mapping approaches