Dr Sylwia Wierzcholska from the Department of Plant Biology at the Wrocław University of Life Sciences will carry out the project “How do phorophytes shape the diversity of dependent epiphytic flora in mountainous commercial forests?”. She has won a grant – PLN 45,516 – for her research in the Miniatura 7 competition of the National Science Centre.

The phorophyte, or tree, which is covered by epiphytes (bryophytes that grow on the bark of the tree), provides bryophytes with a variety of microhabitats, shaping their diversity through the reaction of the bark, its water holding capacity and the relief typical of each tree species.

Bryophytes are very good bioindicators, tolerate short periods of drought very well, have the ability to take up water and substances with their whole surface (they have no conductive tissues) and are therefore completely dependent on the quality of external conditions. Dr Wierzcholska’s project will assess the species richness and functional diversity of bryophytes in slope forests, mountain beech forests and spruce crops in the Sudetes.

Read more: https://upwr.edu.pl/aktualnosci/miniatura-7-na-badanie-mszakow-4100.html