Dryland bryophytes and trait-based ecology

A central goal in ecology is to better understand the connection between plant form and function. Yet while the field of trait-based ecology has flourished, bryophytes, and dryland bryophytes in particular, have remained understudied. Bryophytes are known for their remarkable ability to survive extended periods of desiccation and for being able to recover from repeated cycles of drying and rewetting. Here, we review dryland bryophyte functional strategies for surviving desiccation and rehydration, the ecological impacts of functional trait variation, and how environmental change may, in some cases, push dryland bryophytes to their limits.