Published in 1990: With the accumulation of knowledge in the newer areas of investigations and the increasing degree of specialization, the most satisfactory way of bringing together authentic information in one volume is to invite the specialists in each area to contribute.

This endeavour is aimed to be comprehensive and innovative. It covers the entire course of reading in Bryology. After a brief Introduction, there is an account of array of diversity and development of Bryophytes. In three chapters on Liverworts, Hornworts and Mosses, one can find an illustrated and concise account of all representative types. It is followed by comparative morphology. In two chapters on Gametophyte and Sporophyte are unravelled the elements of unity in diversity. Due emphasis has been given to experimental studies. In five chapters are traced the events of life cycle; Spore germination, Protonema differentiation and Gametophyte initiation, Sexuality and Sporophyte development, Regeneration, and Alternation of generations. Experimental studies – a backbone of this book – are not only interesting in a class room but informative to decipher different aspects of differentiation. Finally, there is food for thought in chapters on Cytogenetics and Evolution, and Origin and Fossil History. At the end is an extensive bibliography of old and new Literature, for further reading.

The Study Of Bryophytes Is No Longer Confined To Their Morphology, Anatomy, Life-History, And Phylogenetic Considerations. In Recent Years There Has Been An Increasing Emphasis On Investigations Concerning The Ultrastructure, Reproductive Biology, Ecology, Morphogenesis, Physiology, Biochemistry And Related Aspects Of Bryophytes. These Themes Have Also Rightfully Found Their Place In The Syllabi At All Levels In Most Universities All Over The Globe. However, The Writing Of Texts In This Area Has Lagged Behind. Since The Literature Is Scattered And At Times Not Easy To Reach, There Is An Urgent Need For A Book Which Deals With The Modern Topics Of Bryology. This Volume Is Intended To Fill This Gap. The Authors Have Tried To Make The Compilation Of The Literature As Up-To-Date As Possible, And The References Cited In The Text Have Been Listed At The End Of Each Chapter For Those Interested In More Details. Most Of The Illustrations Have Been Taken From Recent Research Publications And These Have Not Previously Been Included In Any Book As Far As We Aware. Summary Charts And Tables Are Provided At All Appropriate Places.

Published in 1990: With the accumulation of knowledge in the newer areas of investigations and the increasing degree of specialization, the most satisfactory way of bringing together authentic information in one volume is to invite the specialists in each area to contribute.

A comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the morphology, systematics, ecology, and evolution of this fascinating group of plants.

Bryophytes were a pivotal step in land plant evolution, and their significance in the regulation of ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity is becoming increasingly acknowledged. This introductory textbook assumes no prior knowledge of bryophyte biology, making it ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as amateur botanists. The authors expertly summarise the diversity of bryophytes and outline recent advances in our understanding of their evolutionary history, their ecological roles and preferences, their distribution patterns and conservation needs. The text is highly illustrated throughout, with boxed summaries of topics of current relevance in bryophyte biology, and a glossary of technical terms.

There has been an increasing interest in bryophyte ecology over the past 100 or so years, initially of a phytosociological nature but, additionally, in recent years, of an experimental nature as well. Early studies of bryophyte communities have led to detailed investigations into the relationships between the plants and their environment. Ecological papers, the large number of which is evidenced by the length of the bibliographies in the subsequent chapters, have appeared in numerous journals. Yet, apart from review chapters, by H. Gams and P. W. Richards in Manual of Bryology, edited b:; H. Verdoorn in 1932 and chapters in E. V. Watson's Structure and Life of Bryophytes, Prem Puri's Bryophytes - A Broad Perspective and D. H. S. Richardson's The Biology of Mosses, published in 1972,1973 and 1981 respectively, no general accounts of bryophyte ecology have been published. Although the Bryophyta is a relatively small division of plants, with between 14000 and 21000 species the interest that they have aroused is out of all proportion to the size either of the plants or of the division. It is evident, however, that despite their relative insigni ficance they play an important ecological role, especially in extreme environments and, in the case of bryophytes in tropical cloud forests and of Sphagnum, may even be a dominant factor in the ecology of the area concerned.