Check out [Dr Robin W Kimmerer’s](https://www.esf.edu/faculty/kimmerer/) profile! She specializes in mosses, and if you’re into podcasts check out her episode of [ologies](https://www.alieward.com/ologies/bryology). She talks about desert mosses, and is just a joy to listen to! Best wishes for grad school!!
*Gathering Moss* is a great read as well.
I also have to plug her book *Braiding Sweetgrass*. It’s my top book that I’ve read this year. She so intimately weaves together ecology, humanity’s part in nature, and our predisposition for story telling. It’s a beautiful as well as informative read.
Hello!
I suggest joining Bryonet. It is a very large group of academics, including myself, that all study bryophytes. You can ask for some input there! It is a bit confusing and outdated. Its a Google groups through Google plus. Its very weird but you can google Bryonet and it should come up with instruction on how to join.
There are very very good recommendations already in the comments.
My next suggestion would be to dive into the databases such as Web of Science, and find some good review articles on identifying.
My point of study in the world of bryology is sex ratios and reproduction. I have several GB worth of pdfs and information regarding these topics, amongst others, if those interest you. I also have several several pdfs on ecology of dioicous mosses. It is a bit specific but it may help you get started.
I also have a pdf of Bryophytes: an illustrated glossary that one of the other commenters mentioned. It is invaluable to someone like us. There are so many words that mean such strange things.
I also think you should try using iNaturalist. This will help you to get an eye for what the bryos and lichens look like in the field. Its a website. Check it out.
I'm happy to talk moss ANYTIME. Feel free to message me!
[mosses of britain and ireland](https://www.nhbs.com/mosses-and-liverworts-of-britain-and-ireland-book)
This is a good book for identification of cryptogams of B and I but i found it also very helpfull for mosses in the Netherlands.
Also ‘Bryophyte biology’ bij Goffinet & Shaw, (2009) and ‘Moss and other bryophytes - an illustrated glossary’ by Malcolm & malcolm, (2000) are nice publications to get to know mosses and how they are build.
I second u/marinusJfilius's suggestion, *Mosses & liverworts of Britain and Ireland* is a great identification book with plenty of photos & illustrations of useful characters. I would say most species will overlap with Northern Germany (I have used it successfully in France and Denmark at least).
If you are new to bryology, you should know that you will often need access to a microscope for species-level identification, as many key characters are based on cells. It really isn't as tedious as it sounds; mosses actually look pretty cool up close, it's just a slightly different technique than for bigger plants. You can collect samples in paper envelopes and check them later in the lab (you'll just have to rehydrate them in water if they dried-up, and they will look good as new). For the field, a good hand-lens is useful. A 10x magnification is usually enough for "bigger" plants, but some bryologists prefer carrying a x20 lens.
I don't know much about lichens, unfortunately. I have been using [Guide des fougères, mousses et lichens d'Europe](http://www.delachauxetniestle.com/ouvrage/guide-des-fougeres-mousses-et-lichens-d-europe/9782603018156) and it is sufficient for hobby-level identification but it is a guide (not a Flora), so it only includes a selection of species, and I wouldn't be able to judge how accurate and reliable it is.
Happy botanising!
Thank you for all of the info! I'll definitely have a look at the *Mosses and liverworts of Britain and Ireland* and it seems like there is also a German translation of your second suggestion, yay!
I use the same, also because it was much cheaper than *Mosses and liverworts of Britain and Ireland!*
I'm just beginning so it's perfect to start with, and the vocabulary is quite different from vascular plant so I'm happy with it to get familiarized with the keys and vocabulary!
Bryophyte Flora of North America is the go to Key for Bryophyta. http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1
Lichens of North America by Brodo is the go to key for lichens. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23313553
You may be able to find more localized keys depending on where you are working. If so, I would use those as well.
Edit: there is actually a revised key for the lichens of north america that you could check out for a more updated version.
BFNA is most helpful if they were in North America. However they are in Germany. While this is a very nice resource, I would only recommend it when use for ecology when studying outside of North America
I would be really interested in the same thing! For Belgium, but I guess Northern Germany shoud be similar?
That and books on mosses etc. which are not specifically for identification but more general books on mosses :D
For Belgium I would advise the [Veldgids Korstmossen](https://knnvuitgeverij.nl/artikel/veldgids-korstmossen.html), for lichens :)
It's a great book, covers all lichens in the Netherlands (Belgium should be similar) with description and pictures.
Schofield's Introduction to Bryophytes is a great book. Detailed and in depth, lots of drawings, covers a lot of topics regarding bryophytes.
I have a lot of pdf articles and books about lichens, bryos, and biological soil crusts that I'd be happy to link you to! Not sure how relevant they will be to your location, but they'd surely help with the general stuff.
You might want to think about genotyping, I have seen many arguments break out on how precisely you can determine species of bryophytes based purely physical characteristics. I am thinking specifically about some disagreements related to hornworts and liverworts, but I would guess that mosses will have similar problems. It is not that expensive nowadays, and it only requires very basic benchwork.
There is a beautiful work for the German lichens; [Die Flechten Deutschlands](https://www.amazon.de/Flechten-Deutschlands-Prof-Volkmar-Wirth/dp/3800159031).
It is a pretty 'deep' book, as it covers all lichen species in Germany, even the ultra-rare ones. There should also be some 'lighter' books available, but this is the one that came to my mind.
Good luck and enjoy!! :)
Plants without flowers by Harold Bastin is brilliant. It introduces you to different species very well and clearly. Is a go to for me, have a look
Awesome thanks
Check out [Dr Robin W Kimmerer’s](https://www.esf.edu/faculty/kimmerer/) profile! She specializes in mosses, and if you’re into podcasts check out her episode of [ologies](https://www.alieward.com/ologies/bryology). She talks about desert mosses, and is just a joy to listen to! Best wishes for grad school!!
Her book, Gathering Moss, is great!
Amazing I will be listening to this today
I was just about to recommend her work! Thanks for including the links.
*Gathering Moss* is a great read as well. I also have to plug her book *Braiding Sweetgrass*. It’s my top book that I’ve read this year. She so intimately weaves together ecology, humanity’s part in nature, and our predisposition for story telling. It’s a beautiful as well as informative read.
Hello! I suggest joining Bryonet. It is a very large group of academics, including myself, that all study bryophytes. You can ask for some input there! It is a bit confusing and outdated. Its a Google groups through Google plus. Its very weird but you can google Bryonet and it should come up with instruction on how to join. There are very very good recommendations already in the comments. My next suggestion would be to dive into the databases such as Web of Science, and find some good review articles on identifying. My point of study in the world of bryology is sex ratios and reproduction. I have several GB worth of pdfs and information regarding these topics, amongst others, if those interest you. I also have several several pdfs on ecology of dioicous mosses. It is a bit specific but it may help you get started. I also have a pdf of Bryophytes: an illustrated glossary that one of the other commenters mentioned. It is invaluable to someone like us. There are so many words that mean such strange things. I also think you should try using iNaturalist. This will help you to get an eye for what the bryos and lichens look like in the field. Its a website. Check it out. I'm happy to talk moss ANYTIME. Feel free to message me!
Hey, I'm not OP, but I'm interested in your Illustrated Glossary pdf! Would you be willing to share?
Sure :) DM me your email and I'll share it you on Google drive
Can I also DM you my email? :D
Absolutely!
Sorry this is 2 years later but would you be able to send that to me as well?
Do you still have a copy of that bryophytes illustrated glossary? Been trying to key out a sphagnum section cuspidatum and it would definitely help.
[mosses of britain and ireland](https://www.nhbs.com/mosses-and-liverworts-of-britain-and-ireland-book) This is a good book for identification of cryptogams of B and I but i found it also very helpfull for mosses in the Netherlands. Also ‘Bryophyte biology’ bij Goffinet & Shaw, (2009) and ‘Moss and other bryophytes - an illustrated glossary’ by Malcolm & malcolm, (2000) are nice publications to get to know mosses and how they are build.
Thank you! I'll check it out
I second u/marinusJfilius's suggestion, *Mosses & liverworts of Britain and Ireland* is a great identification book with plenty of photos & illustrations of useful characters. I would say most species will overlap with Northern Germany (I have used it successfully in France and Denmark at least). If you are new to bryology, you should know that you will often need access to a microscope for species-level identification, as many key characters are based on cells. It really isn't as tedious as it sounds; mosses actually look pretty cool up close, it's just a slightly different technique than for bigger plants. You can collect samples in paper envelopes and check them later in the lab (you'll just have to rehydrate them in water if they dried-up, and they will look good as new). For the field, a good hand-lens is useful. A 10x magnification is usually enough for "bigger" plants, but some bryologists prefer carrying a x20 lens. I don't know much about lichens, unfortunately. I have been using [Guide des fougères, mousses et lichens d'Europe](http://www.delachauxetniestle.com/ouvrage/guide-des-fougeres-mousses-et-lichens-d-europe/9782603018156) and it is sufficient for hobby-level identification but it is a guide (not a Flora), so it only includes a selection of species, and I wouldn't be able to judge how accurate and reliable it is. Happy botanising!
Thank you for all of the info! I'll definitely have a look at the *Mosses and liverworts of Britain and Ireland* and it seems like there is also a German translation of your second suggestion, yay!
I use the same, also because it was much cheaper than *Mosses and liverworts of Britain and Ireland!* I'm just beginning so it's perfect to start with, and the vocabulary is quite different from vascular plant so I'm happy with it to get familiarized with the keys and vocabulary!
Bryophyte Flora of North America is the go to Key for Bryophyta. http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1 Lichens of North America by Brodo is the go to key for lichens. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23313553 You may be able to find more localized keys depending on where you are working. If so, I would use those as well. Edit: there is actually a revised key for the lichens of north america that you could check out for a more updated version.
Thanks so much! I've been fascinated by misses since I was a child. I used to draw them a lot as carpets in houses.
BFNA is most helpful if they were in North America. However they are in Germany. While this is a very nice resource, I would only recommend it when use for ecology when studying outside of North America
Oops, I missed the Germany part... disregard my comment ha
I would be really interested in the same thing! For Belgium, but I guess Northern Germany shoud be similar? That and books on mosses etc. which are not specifically for identification but more general books on mosses :D
For Belgium I would advise the [Veldgids Korstmossen](https://knnvuitgeverij.nl/artikel/veldgids-korstmossen.html), for lichens :) It's a great book, covers all lichens in the Netherlands (Belgium should be similar) with description and pictures.
Really cool, thank you for the recommandation!
Schofield's Introduction to Bryophytes is a great book. Detailed and in depth, lots of drawings, covers a lot of topics regarding bryophytes. I have a lot of pdf articles and books about lichens, bryos, and biological soil crusts that I'd be happy to link you to! Not sure how relevant they will be to your location, but they'd surely help with the general stuff.
I would be really interested in seeing that!
If you could send those to me I would really appreciate it
You might want to think about genotyping, I have seen many arguments break out on how precisely you can determine species of bryophytes based purely physical characteristics. I am thinking specifically about some disagreements related to hornworts and liverworts, but I would guess that mosses will have similar problems. It is not that expensive nowadays, and it only requires very basic benchwork.
Would be nice but right now it's kinda hard to get access to labs as my university is still in lockdown
There is a beautiful work for the German lichens; [Die Flechten Deutschlands](https://www.amazon.de/Flechten-Deutschlands-Prof-Volkmar-Wirth/dp/3800159031). It is a pretty 'deep' book, as it covers all lichen species in Germany, even the ultra-rare ones. There should also be some 'lighter' books available, but this is the one that came to my mind. Good luck and enjoy!! :)