Hidden Wonders: The Marvelous World of Lichens and Bryophytes with Chris Coshland

Explore the world of bryophytes and lichens, the life history of these non-vascular plants, their evolution, and primitive origins. In this video, Chris Coshland, Cultural and Natural Resources Manager at March Air Reserve Base, and Lichen and Bryophyte Curator at UC Riverside introduces us to the fascinating world of these indispensable cryptogams, which reproduce by spores and bear no flowers or seeds. Bryophytes include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts which get water in the environment from direct surface contact. They may appear dead when dry but can regain normal function when moisture is available demonstrating their impressive capacity to withstand complete dehydration. Lichens are composed of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium. They play an important role in nutrient cycling.

Chris Coshland has been a botanist with the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, from Southern California to Oregon and Idaho. She specializes in bryophytes and lichens and also works on pollinating insects and fungi. She has a large collection of plants, fungi, lichens and bryophytes on Calphotos. She enjoys helping identify species and being a part of determining what species exist throughout the USA.