Article

The “Bosco Siro Negri”, a State Natural Forest Reserve located within the Ticino river valley (W Lombardy, N Italy), hosts a relict riparian forest dominated by common oak and field elm (Natura 2000 Habitat 91F0). The forest has been left unmanaged since 1950, representing therefore an important case study of a lowland habitat allowed to its natural dynamics. The bryophyte flora of the Reserve was surveyed in Spring 2014. Overall, 5 liverwort and 55 moss taxa are reported. Growth forms, substrate preferences, ecology according to four indices, chorology and distribution have been analyzed, in order to outline the bryophyte flora of the Reserve. About 21% of the bryophyte species of the whole Ticino River valley occur in the Reserve, which can be considered an important area for the conservation of bryophytes in the Po Plain, especially for forest-inhabiting species.