Bryophytes of the Pacific Northwest

Some AI-generated slop:

The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the richest and most diverse assemblages of bryophytes in North America. From the dripping rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula to the alpine meadows of the Cascades, mosses, liverworts, and hornworts form a vibrant and often overlooked layer of the region’s ecosystems. These small, non-vascular plants thrive in the cool, moist conditions that dominate much of the coastal and montane environments, carpeting rocks, soil, and tree trunks with intricate textures and subtle colors. Their presence not only enhances the beauty of the landscape but also plays an essential role in maintaining ecological balance.

This guide brings together the three major lineages of bryophytes—Bryophyta (mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts), and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)—to provide a comprehensive introduction to their identification, diversity, and natural history in the Pacific Northwest. By highlighting key features, habitats, and distribution, it aims to equip naturalists, students, and field botanists with the tools to appreciate and recognize these fascinating plants. Whether encountered on a shaded forest floor, clinging to windswept cliffs, or colonizing freshly exposed soil, bryophytes are a constant and resilient presence, offering insight into both the ancient origins of land plants and the delicate dynamics of present-day ecosystems.

This guide is an early work in progress with much content remaining to be added. However, here is a selection of taxa for which the content is relatively complete:

Douinia ovata
Calypogeia muelleriana
Cephalozia bicuspidata

This site is built with a radical and innovative design where the information content is sourced from a Google Sheets spreadsheet, with high resolution source images in Google Drive. This allows subject matter experts to take control over their content without gatekeeping by technologists and content management platforms. The site build can be run from within R studio using the blogdown package, a wrapper for the hugo site generator. The source spreadsheet can be seen at BC_Bryo_Database — if you have content to contribute, or would like to make corrections, please contact one of the project maintainers, Andrew Simon or Randal Mindell, for access.