Ecological Preferences and Bioindicative Role of Bryophytes in Forest Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Bryophytes, including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, form a highly diverse group of plants, widely distributed across the globe. These organisms are commonly found in nearly all ecosystems—both non-forested and forested. In the latter, ecosystems tend to be characterized by high biodiversity due to the availability of various substrates (soil, wood, trees, rocks) and many of these are important for their microhabitats.

Although bryophytes are widely recognized as excellent bioindicators, reflecting aspects of air pollution, heavy metal accumulation, the plant communities in which they occur, and the substrates on which they grow, they are unfortunately increasingly overlooked in ecological and phytosociological studies.

This Special Issue provides an opportunity to discuss these important topics within a scientific context. It aims to highlight and emphasize the crucial bioindicative role of bryophytes in nature. Consequently, this Special Issue covers all aspects of mosses in forest communities, including their distributions, substrate preferences, microhabitats, and associations with plant communities. It will feature both local studies as well as broader regional or continental research. The scope also encompasses bioindicative functions of mosses and liverworts in various contexts—from microhabitats and substrates to plant communities.

Dr. Grzegorz J. Wolski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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