Bryophyte Conservation Alliance

Climate change and habitat destruction are negatively impacting plants of all taxa worldwide. Most previous and ongoing broadscale conservation efforts aimed at plant diversity preservation have been focused on vascular plants with comparatively little attention paid to non-vascular plant conservation, bryophytes included. Bryophytes' ecological impact can be as significant as those of co-occurring vascular plants, yet they are often overlooked due to their small size, less familiar taxonomy, and lesser extent of public awareness. Though more research is needed across different ecosystem types and bryophyte species, changes in climate and land use are negatively influencing the magnitude of bryophyte ecosystem impacts on biogeochemical cycles (e.g. water, carbon, nitrogen), co-occurring plant and soil communities, and bryophyte diversity. 


Recent European efforts to quantify the decline of bryophyte diversity, identify key gaps in knowledge, and list species of concern inspired a drive to complement this effort in North America through the Bryophyte Conservation Alliance (BCA). 
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Goals​

​As the challenges facing bryophyte communities continue to increase, the BCA is focused on three ambitious goals:
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• Increase general knowledge and appreciation of bryophytes
  
• Create a clearinghouse for information on bryophyte conservation​
  
• Develop and implement bryophyte conservation-related research and strategies

MISSION STATEMENT

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​Our mission is to foster bryophyte conservation and support those efforts with sound scientific data.​​