Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
The important role of bryophytes in diverse ecosystem functions is better understood than ever, matched by a growing toolkit of conservation and restoration techniques. Though recent warming simulations have found bryophytes concerningly vulnerable to climate change, they have also found that bryophytes can recover much more quickly than previously thought when released from stress. We have made major advances in supporting bryophyte recovery after physical disturbances, and these same interventions may allow us to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Bryophytes were among the first organisms on land, and we have hope they will persist in the uncertain future.
