Roles of Bryophytes in Aquatic Ecology

Dear Colleagues,

Bryophytes are poikilohydrous organisms, rely entirely on water absorption through leaves, and respond diversely to repeated droughts of varying duration. Peculiarities in their morphology and anatomy, such as the absence of the epidermis and cuticle or their strong reduction, single-layered leaves, poorly developed conducting tissues, and absence of a root system, determine a significant resistance, which, in many cases, is more emphasized compared to that of most phanerogams.

Bryophytes are among the best adapted plants, especially in habitats with extreme conditions. Due to their small size, they largely reflect microenvironmental conditions, e.g., the microclimate, soil development, and chemical composition.

Aquatic bryophytes are unique organisms and have exceptional survival strategies and ecological adaptations. They affect aquatic habitats in various aspects; for example, they optimize physical structure by providing a larger area for the periphyton’s development. Bryophytes are also considered to influence the structure of invertebrate communities by providing habitats for colonization and food sources: epiphytes and retained organic matter (detritus), and last but not least, by acting as a refuge from predators or strong currents.

Aquatic bryophytes are widely used worldwide to assess the quality of surface flowing or stagnant waters due to their capacity to accumulate a number of pollutants. The wide geographical distribution of some species allows comparative observations to be carried out under different aquatic environments. Original research articles and reviews, communications, and short notes on unique aquatic bryophytes are welcome.

Dr. Gana Gecheva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.