Life strategies and adaptations in bryophytes from the near and Middle East

Abstract

A review article on life strategies and ecomorphological adaptations (xerothalloid and xeropottioid life syndromes) of bryophytes is given, based on the hitherto known and analysed terrestrial, saxicolous and epiphytic communities of the Near and Middle East. The examples given impressively demonstrate common adaptive trends that arise convergently but independently in unrelated taxa when they evolve under similar habitat conditions. These functional types are important for the establishment, habitat maintenance and dispersal of species and indicate the relationships between site ecology, niche differentiation and species evolution. Their differentiation is a prime example of parallel evolution. © TÜBITAK.