Cryptogams, often neglected in vegetation dynamics studies, compose a large part of biomass and contribute to the biodiversity of sandy grasslands. Since the work of Verseghy (1970s), their productivity has not been analyzed in Hungary. We studied th...
Epiphytic organisms are characteristic elements of the Andean dry forest, playing a crucial role in ecosystem diversity and functionality, but they are threatened by deforestation-related factors. The diversity of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes was...
Because they are widespread and evolutionarily old, epiphytic lichens (ELs) play an important role in global forest ecosystems. ELs are abundant in Siberian forest ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable to climate change; thus, ELs can be important...
Air pollution is one of the main environmental problems in developed and developing countries. Epiphytic cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens) are proposed as a reliable indicator to detect environmental changes, given to their sensitivity to pollutant...
Potash tailing piles located in Germany represent extremely hypersaline locations that negatively affect neighbouring environments and limit the development of higher vegetation. However, biocrusts, as cryptogamic covers, inhabit some of these areas...
In mountain regions, biological soil crusts (BSCs) provide essential ecological services by being involved in primary production and nitrogen fixation. Eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic components of these unique cryptog...
Antarctic terrestrial photosynthetic biota is dominated by cryptogamic communities, which are largely restricted to scarce ice-free areas. Among these, nunataks constitute habitats of remarkable biogeographical interest, as they may harbor distinctiv...