IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Bryophyte Specialist Group

Overview and description

Description:: Bryophytes are small, inconspicuous plants of hidden but amazing beauty and with unique life - history traits that differ from all other terrestrial plants on earth. Evolving from aquatic ancestors ...
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Bryophytes are small, inconspicuous plants of hidden but amazing beauty and with unique life - history traits that differ from all other terrestrial plants on earth. Evolving from aquatic ancestors they share with vascular plants, bryophytes conquered life on land and radiated into a diverse group of around 20,000 species worldwide. Despite this highly successful performance, in an evolutionary perspective, and being exposed to similar risks for extinction caused by the human impact as iconic mammals, birds and orchids, they hardly ever receive the attention they deserve, neither for their appeal nor for their survival. The IUCN SSC Bryophyte Specialist Group is a global network of experts dedicated to the science and measures required to ensure the long - term survival of bryophytes.

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Group leadership

Dr Jacques VAN ROOY

Co-Chair

Email: j.vanrooy@sanbi.org.za

More than 40 years of experience in herbarium curation and research on the taxonomy, nomenclature, biogeography and conservation of African bryophytes, southern African mosses in particular.

Dr Irene BISANG

Co-Chair

Email: irene.bisang@nrm.se

As a botanist / bryologist by training (PhD) I have a long-term engagement in bryophyte conservation. At present I am employed as Senior scientist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM) ...

More about the Specialist Group

The BSG promotes the exploration of bryological diversity across all geographic scales. It provides the scientific knowledge to assess the extinction risk and conservation status of bryophytes, and actively contributes to conservation actions around the world. It reaches out to decision-makers and the general public on bryophyte diversity- and bryophyte conservation-related issues.

Specialist Group work

The work of BSG focuses on assessing extinction risks of bryophytes at the global and regional levels. Bryophytes are a specious group of land plants whose diversity is in many parts of the world insufficiently known which results in few species for which their extinction risk has been assessed.