African moss diversity and endemism: list by country

This data was originally published in: O'Shea, B.J. 1997. The mosses of sub-Saharan Africa. 2. Endemism and biodiversity. Tropical Bryology 13: 75-85, but has been updated at intervals since.

Additionally, data for North Africa has now been added, as published in:
Ros, R.M., Cano, M.J. & Guerra, J. 1999. Bryophyte checklist of Northern Africa. Journal of Bryology 21: 207-244.
Data for sub-Saharan Africa has been updated from:
O'Shea, B.J. 2003. Checklist of the mosses of sub-Saharan Africa (version 4, 12/03). Tropical Bryology Research Reports 4: 1-182.

Data last updated: 8 January 2004.

An '*' preceding a country/island name indicates that the totals are included in the previous non-asterisked total. 79 countries/islands contributing to the African totals are thus aggregated into 59.

Country/island Total Endemics % endemic Area (km2) Endemics / 10K km2 Taxa /10K km2 Updated
Non-African areas for comparison
UK 1034 15  1.45 244754  0.61  42.25  
UK (mosses)  745 12 1.61 244754 0.49 30.44  
UK (hepatics) 289 3 1.04 244754 0.12 11.81  
Europe (est)  1470 170 11.56 10498000 0.16 1.4  
African totals (excluding Macaronesia & islands S of South Africa)
Africa 3244 2125 59.79 30546316 0.70 1.16 4.1.04
Sub-Saharan Africa  2791 2050  73.45 24141942 0.85 1.16 4.1.04
Tropical Africa (=AFR2+AFR3)  2602 1763 67.76  21473907  0.82 1.21 4.1.04
AFR1 (mainland) 678 69 10.18 6268655 0.11 1.08 4.1.04
AFR2 1968 1062 53.96 20872862 0.51 0.94 4.1.04
AFR3  1073 553 51.54 601045 9.20 17.85 4.1.04
AFR4N (mainland) 571 120 20.37 2668035 0.45 2.21 4.1.04
Africa - by country
Algeria 458 31 6.77 2381745 0.13 1.92 4.1.04
Angola (all) 123 23 18.70 1247700 0.18 0.99 4.1.04
* Angola 123 23 18.70 1246700 0.18 0.99 4.1.04
* Cabinda 2 0 0 1000 0 20 4.1.04
Ascension Is. 28 13 46.43  88 1477.27 3181.82 4.1.04
Benin 19  0  0  112622  0 2.22 4.1.04
Botswana 22 0 0 575000 0 0.38 4.1.04
Burkina Faso 12  1 8.33 274122 0.04 0.44 4.1.04
Burundi 70 1 1.43 27834 0.36 25.15 4.1.04
Cameroon 368  44 11.96 475500  0.93 7.74 4.1.04
Cape Verde 119 7 5.88 4033 17.36 295.07 4.1.04
Central African Rep. 278 31 11.15 624977 0.50 4.45 4.1.04
Chad 63 2 3.17 1284000 0.02 0.49 4.1.04
Chagos Archipelago 9 0 0 70 0 1285.71 4.1.04
* Chagos  9 0 0 23 0 3913.04 4.1.04
* Diego Garcia 6 0 0 47 0 1276.60 4.1.04
Comores 192 37 19.27 1860 198.92 1032.26 4.1.04
Congo (Brazzaville) 76  6 7.89 342000 0.18 2.22 4.1.04
Djibouti 25 0 0 23000 0 10.87 4.1.04
D.R. Congo (Zaire) 590 58 9.83 2345410 0.25 2.52 4.1.04
Egypt 134 11 8.21 1000250 0.11 1.34 4.1.04
Equatorial Guinea 171 12 7.02 28051 4.28 60.96 4.1.04
* Annobon 17 4 23.53 17 2352.94 10000 4.1.04
* Bioko 122 8 6.56 2034 39.33 599.80 4.1.04
* Rio Muni 71 0 0 26017 0 27.29 4.1.04
Eritrea 73 24 32.88 91600 2.62 7.97 4.1.04
Ethiopia 302 52 17.22 1104300 0.47 2.73 4.1.04
Gabon 244 21 8.61 267667 0.78 9.12 4.1.04
Ghana 67 0 0 238305 0 2.81 4.1.04
Guinea Bissau 1  0 0 36125 0 0.28 4.1.04
Guinea 195 31 15.9 245855 1.26 7.93 4.1.04
Ivory Coast 190 5 2.63 322463 0.16 5.89 4.1.04
Kenya 490 41 8.37 582644 0.70 8.41 4.1.04
Lesotho 224 3 1.34 30350 0.99 73.82 4.1.04
Liberia 56 4 7.14 111370 0.36 5.03 4.1.04
Libya 106 4 3.77 1759540 0.02 0.60 4.1.04
Madagascar 731 283 38.71 594180 4.76 12.30 4.1.04
Malawi 267 3 1.12 94080 0.82 28.38 4.1.04
Mali 19 5 26.32 1240140 0.04 0.15 4.1.04
Mascarene Is. 539 133 24.68 4531 292.53 1189.58 4.1.04
* Agalega 6 0 0 50 0 1200 4.1.04
* Mauritius 247 35 14.17 1865 187.67 1324.40 4.1.04
* Reunion 392 66 16.84 2512 262.74 1560.51 4.1.04
* Rodrigues 42 9 21.43 104 865.38 4038.46 4.1.04
Mauritania 6 0 0 1030700 0 0.06 8.1.04
Morocco 440 16 3.64 710850 0.23 6.19 8.1.04
Mozambique 80 3 3.75 784755 0.04 1.02 8.1.04
Namibia 75 3 4.00 824290 0.04 1.02 8.1.04
Niger 8 0 0 1186410 0 0.07 8.1.04
Nigeria 179 5 2.79 923850 0.05 1.94 8.1.04
Principe 14 0 0 110 0 1272.73 8.1.04
Rwanda 287 12 4.18 26340 4.56 108.96 8.1.04
South Africa 562 81 14.41 1221040 0.66 4.60 8.1.04
* Cape 421 48 11.40 743575 0.65 5.66 8.1.04
* Natal  365 7 1.92 91050 0.77 40.09 8.1.04
* Orange Free State 146 0 0 106225 0 13.74 8.1.04
* Transvaal 308 3 0.97 242800 0.12 12.69 8.1.04
Sao Tome 76 13 17.11 854 152.22 889.93 8.1.04
Senegambia 22 3 13.64 208020 0.14 1.06 8.1.04
* Senegal 20 3 15 196720 0.15 1.02 8.1.04
* Gambia 1 0 0 10690 0 0.94 8.1.04
Seychelles group 111 7 6.31 404 173.27 2747.52 8.1.04
* Seychelles 109 7 6.42 280 250.00 3892.86 8.1.04
* Aldabra 5 0 0 155 0 322.58 8.1.04
* Amirante 1 0 0 40 0 250 8.1.04
Sierra Leone 100 3 3.00 72325 0.41 13.83 8.1.04
Socotra 37 1 2.7 3625 2.76 102.27 8.1.04
Somalia 21 4 19.05 630000 0.06 0.33 8.1.04
St. Helena 33 11 33.33 122 901.44 2704.92 8.1.04
Sudan 93 22 23.66 2505815 0.09 0.37 8.1.04
Swaziland 99 0 0 17360 0 57.03 8.1.04
Tanzania 768 92 11.98 939760 0.98 8.17 8.1.04
Togo 90 3 3.33 56790 0.53 15.85 8.1.04
Tunisia 217 4 1.84 164150 0.24 13.22 8.1.04
Uganda 475 34 7.16 236580 1.44 20.08 8.1.04
West Sahara 0 0 0 252120 0 0 8.1.04
Zambia 143 0 0 752610 0 1.90 8.1.04
Zimbabwe 267 9 3.37 390310 0.23 6.84 8.1.04