The Pacific Northwest (PNW) supports one of the world's most diverse assortments of bryophytes and lichens. Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) are the earliest land plants. Lichens, are not plants at all- they are a diverse group of symbiotic organisms composed of a fungal partner with an algae and/or cyanobacteria. Together, bryophytes and lichens occur on nearly every continent and ecosystem in the world and are among the most sensitive indicators of environmental change. In the ecosystems where they occur they work to stabilize soils, reduce water and nutrient run-off and provide habitat and nesting material for invertebrates and vertebrates. Moreover, lichens and mosses represent ~30% of the world’s eukaryotic biological N-fixation and peat-moss alone stores nearly 33% of all global terrestrial carbon.

This upper-division science program focuses on bryophytes and lichens- their taxonomy, ecology and biology. Field trips will emphasize life history of these species as well as the sight recognition of major groups and proper collection methods. Lab activities will involve identifying collected specimens to species using dichotomous keys and developing proficiency in techniques for the identification of mosses and lichens, such as thin-layer chromatography and chemical thallus testing for lichens, dissection and slide-making techniques and use of compound and dissecting microscopes. Many of these lab skills can be applied broadly to other taxonomic groups of plants and fungi. Lectures and seminars will focus on readings from bryology and lichen textbooks as well as a variety of essays and scientific papers relating to the evolution, systematics and ecology of these taxa. Students will conduct quarter-long group research projects, which may include herbaria-based taxonomic studies and field-based floristic studies.