Mosses, as a topic, encompass the study of non-vascular bryophytes within the phylum Bryophyta, focusing on their morphology, life cycles, ecology, and evolutionary significance. Research addresses their dominant haploid gametophyte stage, specialized structures such as rhizoids and sporophytes with sporangia, and their reliance on water for fertilization. Topics include desiccation tolerance, carbon and nutrient cycling in ecosystems, roles in soil formation and water regulation, and use as bioindicators of pollution and climate change. Molecular and genomic studies investigate phylogenetic relationships, adaptation mechanisms, and developmental regulation in these structurally simple but ecologically important land plants.
Hidden beneath the water's surface is a botanical world that is among nature's most innovative and ecologically important.
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2026
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61
Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils ...
Evolution
Jul 2, 2026
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15
Boreal forests are being clear-cut faster than some of their wildlife and plant species can recover, with a few failing to return even 100 years after harvesting, according to University of Alberta-led research.
Plants & Animals
Jun 29, 2026
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173
Mosses are survivors. They can dry into what looks like green dust, only to spring back to life minutes after rain. They can grow on rocks, in deserts, and there's talk of using them to terraform Mars someday. According to ...
Evolution
Jun 18, 2026
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23
A moss gene previously thought to have been inactive actually plays a key role in its evolutionary success, researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered. The new paper published in Current Biology investigated ...
Evolution
Jun 18, 2026
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9
If plants had never learned to grow in multiple directions, our world would look very different. No trees, flowers, or other complex plants—and therefore no animals or humans. New research from the University of Copenhagen ...
Evolution
Jun 2, 2026
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Thousands of holes are appearing in the Pennine hills, as part of efforts to improve carbon storage by restoring damaged peatland.
Environment
May 24, 2026
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63
Most of the carbon fixed by plants through photosynthesis is ultimately stored in the cell wall, primarily in the form of polysaccharides such as cellulose, xylan, and glucomannan. Yet how plants efficiently synthesize these ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 23, 2026
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5
The structure of the plant communities that grow on the thawing permafrost in the Arctic is changing, with grasses displacing slower-growing shrubs. Although these grasses bind more carbon dioxide than previous plant communities, ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 26, 2026
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12
Across Europe, many banks alongside motorways are planted with grass to stabilize soil and keep roadside landscapes tidy.
Environment
Mar 22, 2026
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