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Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World
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Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 14754

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Annalena Cogoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental and Life Science, University of Cagliari, Via S. Ignazio 13, I-09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: botany; plant ecology; bryophytes; plant systematics; biodiversity & conservation; biomonitoring
Dr. Silvia Poponessi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Drususallee 1/Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Interests: bryophytes; taxonomic diversity; plant systematics; biodiversity & conservation; botany

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bryophytes can colonize a wide range of environments in all bioclimatic regions, mainly thanks to their ability to tolerate extended periods of dehydration by entering a state of cryptobiosis, from which they can recover their normal metabolism as soon as water becomes available again. The distribution of these plants depends both on general factors of climate, such as latitude and altitude, and on ecological factors (plant functional types). The role of bryophytes in the ecosystem, a largely overlooked field of study, may be significant despite their small size. The structure and function of a plant organism result from the interaction between genetics and its adaptation to the environment in which it lives. Bryophytes have characteristics that do not allow for a comparison of their biological strategies and growth patterns with those of other terrestrial organisms.

The effects of climate change on the environment are often disproportionate to the duration of the climate-change-induced phenomena. For this reason, the assessment of the impact of climate change on species, ecosystems and communities represents a significant challenge for basic research. In this respect,  this Special Issue aims to collect studies on the ecological breadth of bryophytes in response to the environment in which they grow.

Dr. Annalena Cogoni
Dr. Silvia Poponessi
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • bryophytes
  • climate change
  • plant functional types
  • bryophyte distribution
  • conservation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 6682 KiB  
Article
Landscape Heterogeneity Drives Genetic Diversity in the Highly Dispersive Moss Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.
by Mahmoud Magdy, Olaf Werner, Jairo Patiño and Rosa María Ros
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2785; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192785 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2156
Abstract
Funaria hygrometrica, a cosmopolitan moss species known for its remarkable dispersal capacity, was selected as the focal organism to investigate the relationship between landscape features and genetic diversity. Our study encompassed samples collected from two distinct regions: the Spanish Sierra Nevada Mountains [...] Read more.
Funaria hygrometrica, a cosmopolitan moss species known for its remarkable dispersal capacity, was selected as the focal organism to investigate the relationship between landscape features and genetic diversity. Our study encompassed samples collected from two distinct regions: the Spanish Sierra Nevada Mountains (SN), characterized by a diverse landscape with an altitudinal difference of nearly 3500 m within a short distance, and the Murcia Region (MU) in Southeast Spain, characterized by a uniform landscape akin to the lowlands of Sierra Nevada. Genotyping analysis targeted three genetic regions: the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), the chloroplast rps3-rpl16 region, and the mitochondrial rpl5-rpl16 spacer. Through this analysis, we aimed to assess genetic variability and population structure across these environmentally contrasting regions. The Sierra Nevada populations exhibited significantly higher haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.78 in the highlands and 0.67 overall) and nucleotide diversity (π% = 0.51 for ITS1) compared to the Murcia populations (Hd = 0.35, π% = 0.14). Further investigation unveiled that samples from the lowlands of Sierra Nevada showed a closer genetic affinity to Murcia than to the highlands of Sierra Nevada. Furthermore, the genetic differentiation between highland and lowland populations was significant (ΦST = 0.55), with partial Mantel tests and ResistanceGA analysis revealing a strong correlation between ITS1-based genetic diversity and landscape features, including altitude and bioclimatic variables. Our study elucidated potential explanations for the observed genetic structuring within F. hygrometrica samples’ populations. These included factors such as a high selfing rate within restricted habitats, a limited average dispersal distance of spores, hybrid depression affecting partially incompatible genetic lineages, and recent migration facilitated via human activities into formerly unoccupied areas of the dry zones of Southeast Spain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World)
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25 pages, 744 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Hydration Status of Common Bryophyte Species in Azorean Native Vegetation
by Márcia C. M. Coelho, Rosalina Gabriel and Claudine Ah-Peng
Plants 2023, 12(16), 2931; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162931 - 14 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2088
Abstract
Bryophytes play a crucial role in the ecosystem’s water compartment due to their unique ability to retain water. However, their role within temperate native ecosystems is mostly unknown. To address this knowledge gap, a study was conducted on Terceira Island (Azores), focusing on [...] Read more.
Bryophytes play a crucial role in the ecosystem’s water compartment due to their unique ability to retain water. However, their role within temperate native ecosystems is mostly unknown. To address this knowledge gap, a study was conducted on Terceira Island (Azores), focusing on 14 bryophyte species found at different altitudes (40 m, 683 m, and 1012 m); five samples were collected monthly, per species and location, and their fresh, saturated, and dry weights were examined in the laboratory; four species were collected from more than one site. Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to assert the influence of climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity) and environmental variables on two water indicators: field water content (FWC) and relative water content (RWC). None of the examined factors, per se, were able to explain all cases. Species appear to respond to climate according to a limiting factor effect: at lower elevations, precipitation was determinant, while at medium elevations, FWC was influenced by a combination of precipitation and relative humidity. At higher elevations, temperature was retained for seven of the nine studied species. The RWC values indicated that the 14 bryophyte species remained hydrated throughout the year but rarely reached their maximum water-holding capacity, even at the highest altitude. Understanding the mechanisms by which native bryophytes acquire, store, and release water is crucial for comprehending the resilience of native vegetation in the face of climate change. This knowledge can also enable the development of strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect vital water resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World)
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19 pages, 4077 KiB  
Article
Bryophyte Diversity and Distribution Patterns along Elevation Gradients of the Mount Etna (Sicily), the Highest Active Volcano in Europea
by Marta Puglisi and Saverio Sciandrello
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2655; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142655 - 15 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3384
Abstract
Mt Etna in Sicily hosts a bryophyte floristic richness of 306 taxa, corresponding to 259 mosses, 43 liverworts, and 4 hornworts. Species richness shows a hump-shaped relationship with the elevation, with a peak at 1200–1700 m a.s.l. Chorotype patterns clearly change along an [...] Read more.
Mt Etna in Sicily hosts a bryophyte floristic richness of 306 taxa, corresponding to 259 mosses, 43 liverworts, and 4 hornworts. Species richness shows a hump-shaped relationship with the elevation, with a peak at 1200–1700 m a.s.l. Chorotype patterns clearly change along an altitudinal gradient, from the Mediterranean, located at 0–300 m a.s.l., to Arctic-montane and boreo-Arctic montane at 1800–2700 m a.s.l., showing a correlation with the bioclimatic belts identified for the Mt Etna. In regard to the life form pattern, the turf species are the most represented in each elevation gradient, except at 2300–2700 m a.s.l. where the tuft species are prevalent. The life strategy pattern shows the colonists as the prevailing species, featured by an increasing trend up to 2200 m of elevation; above this limit, they are exceeded by the perennial stayers. Furthermore, taking into consideration the red-listed species (at the European and/or Italian level), as well as the species of phytogeographical interest, it was possible to identify the high bryophyte conservation priority areas; these areas are located in thermo-Mediterranean and oro-Mediterranean bioclimatic belts, the latter corresponding to the oldest substrates of the volcano where some of the most interesting bryophyte glacial relicts find refuge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World)
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19 pages, 1811 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Copper Requirements of the Metallophyte Liverworts Cephaloziella nicholsonii Douin and C. massalongoi (Spruce) Müll.Frib
by Christina Campbell, Daniel L. Kelly, Noeleen Smyth, Neil Lockhart, David T. Holyoak and David Long
Plants 2023, 12(12), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122265 - 9 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
Former mine sites can provide habitat for many rare specialised bryophyte species that have adapted to metal-rich soil conditions that are toxic to most other plant species. Some of the bryophyte species found in this habitat are facultative metallophytes, and others are regarded [...] Read more.
Former mine sites can provide habitat for many rare specialised bryophyte species that have adapted to metal-rich soil conditions that are toxic to most other plant species. Some of the bryophyte species found in this habitat are facultative metallophytes, and others are regarded as strict metallophytes, the so-called ‘copper mosses’. It is a general assumption in the literature that Cephaloziella nicholsonii and C. massalongoi, both categorised as Endangered in the IUCN Red List for Europe, are also strict metallophytes and obligate copper bryophytes. This in vitro experiment investigated the growth and gemma production of these two species from different sites in Ireland and Britain on treatment plates of 0 ppm, 3 ppm, 6 ppm, 12 ppm, 24 ppm, 48 ppm and 96 ppm copper. Results show that elevated copper is not an obligate requirement for optimum growth. Differences in response to the copper treatment levels among populations evident within both species could possibly be due to ecotypic variation. A case is also made for the taxonomic revision of the Cephaloziella genus. Implications for the species’ conservation are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World)
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11 pages, 1808 KiB  
Article
Possible Effects of Climate Change on the Occurrence and Distribution of the Rare Moss Buxbaumia viridis in Serbia (SE Europe)
by Jovana P. Pantović, Djordje P. Božović and Marko S. Sabovljević
Plants 2023, 12(3), 557; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030557 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2449
Abstract
The distribution range and occurrence of the rare and threatened epixylic moss Buxbaumia viridis have been reviewed in Serbia. Climatic conditions of its recent distribution in Serbia were involved in species distribution modeling and analyzed with the aim of obtaining a projection of [...] Read more.
The distribution range and occurrence of the rare and threatened epixylic moss Buxbaumia viridis have been reviewed in Serbia. Climatic conditions of its recent distribution in Serbia were involved in species distribution modeling and analyzed with the aim of obtaining a projection of unknown potential sites and future scenarios of its distribution dynamics. The results achieved suggest potential distribution range of the species will be significantly reduced. According to the climate change models, the habitat changes including the range loss of this species are predicted to be drastic, i.e., between 93% and 97% by the year 2050, and between 98% and 99.9% by the year 2070, affecting primarily lower elevations of its current range in Serbia. A major reason for the projected decline of the species is climate change combined with continued poor forest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses and Adaptations of Bryophytes to a Changing World)
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