Contribution to the biodiversity conservation in Morocco (North Africa): important areas for epiphytic bryophytes

Richness and endemicity rate of vascular plants in Morocco have lead to the establishment of hot-spot areas in the Rif, Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains. Recent studies on the epiphytic mosses and liverworts in Morocco have yielded sufficient knowledge for also evaluating the importance of the Moroccan mountains for the conservation of the epiphytic bryoflora. The selection of hot-spot areas for the epiphytic bryophytes has been made on the basis of species richness, number of rare taxa and singularity or representative nature of the epiphytic bryophyte communities. Eighteen localities throughout the country have been selected as specially relevant: 9 belong to the Rif mountains, 6 to the Middle Atlas, 2 to the High Atlas and 1 to the Antiatlas.