[BEN-L]BEN # 404
Adolf & Oluna Ceska
aceska at telus.net
Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:59:23 -0800
BBBBB EEEEEE NN N ISSN 1188-603X
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BBBBB EEEEE NN N N BOTANICAL
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No. 404 February 25, 2009
=20
aceska@telus.net Victoria, B.C.
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Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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WILFRED BORDEN SCHOFIELD (1927-2008)
From: Rene Belland [rbelland@ales.ualberta.ca]=20
For the accompanied photo see: http://bomi.ou.edu/ben/404/ben_404_1.jpg =
-
Photo by Shona Ellis
It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Canada=92s leading, =
and
most celebrated bryologist, Professor Emeritus Wilfred Borden Schofield.
Wilf passed away on November 5, 2008, having succumbed to cancer. He was =
81.
Wilf was born in Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia on July 19, 1927. He =
attended
Acadia University from 1946-50 where he earned a B.A. with the intention =
of
becoming a school teacher. However, his love of plants, nurtured =
through
the mentorship of Chalmers Smith and J.S. Erskine, led him to pursue
postgraduate studies that included work in both bryology (taxonomy) and
vascular plants (ecology). Acadia University later bestowed upon him an
Honorary Doctorate of Science in recognition of his lifelong =
contributions
to botany (1990).
Wilf completed his M.A. at Stanford University in 1956 under the =
direction
of W.C. Steere, a well known American bryologist, who eventually became =
the
Director of the New York Botanic Garden. His thesis was a taxonomic =
work on
a difficult genus entitled "The relationships and Geographic =
Distribution of
Canadian and Alaskan species of _Hypnum_". Wilf=92s lifelong interest in =
this
genus eventually resulted in the publication of a North American =
revision
for the Bryophyte Flora of North America
(http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3D50&taxon_id=3D116204 =
).
During his time at Stanford, Wilf worked with another well known =
bryologist,
Howard Crum, who was the Curator of Cryptogams at the National Museum in
Ottawa at the time. Wilf spent two field seasons (1955-56) with Crum
collecting bryophytes in the Rocky Mountains, from Waterton Lakes to the
Yukon Territory.=20
It was while he was at Stanford that Wilf met his future bride, Margaret
(Peggy) Irene (nee Bledsoe; d. 2005). After a short courtship, they were
married in 1956. Soon after completing his M.A. (and for Peggy, her M.A. =
in
Music), they moved to North Carolina, where Wilf began Ph.D. studies =
with
the plant ecologist, H.J. Oosting, at Duke University. This time, it was =
an
ecological thesis, entitled "_The Ecotone between Spruce Fir and =
Deciduous
Forest in the Great Smoky Mountains_". Wilf graduated in 1960, and soon
after he and Peggy moved to Vancouver, British Columbia where Wilf had
accepted a position as a faculty member with the Department of Botany at =
the
University of British Columbia. =20
Before they moved west, friends warned Wilf, =93Don=92t go there=85 all =
the weird
ones move west=94. I don=92t think Wilf was ever considered =93weird=94, =
but it was
in British Columbia that he fuelled his passion for bryophytes and began =
a
long, outstanding career as the foremost bryologist in Canada. He =
retired in
1992 but was appointed Professor Emeritus shortly thereafter.
Wilf=92s interests were mainly phytogeographic, at least in the early =
and
middle years, when he published many papers on the floristics and
distribution of bryophytes in British Columbia. Among the more =
important
works is a contribution to a volume on the Queen Charlotte Islands. The
chapter, entitled =93_Structure and affinities of the bryoflora of the =
Queen
Charlotte Islands_=94 was the culmination of 35 years of field work on =
the
islands.
In his later years, Wilf contributed numerous taxonomic papers on the =
genera
_Hypnum_, _Taxithelium_, _Brotherella_, and the family Sematophyllaceae,
among others. In addition he contributed extensively to the Bryophyte =
flora
of North America: Takakiaceae, Buxbaumiaceae, _Hypnum_, Buxbaumiaceae,
Diphysciaceae, Disceliaceae, _Dicranoweisia_, and _Rhabdoweisia_.
His publications reflect Wilf=92s diverse interests and his adeptness as =
a
botanist. Although he specialized in mosses and liverworts, he also
published at least eight papers on lichens and vascular plants.
In addition to peer reviewed articles, Wilf=92s publications include =
chapters
in four plant textbooks (_An Evolutionary Survey of the Plant Kingdom, =
Plant
Diversity: An Evolutionary Approach_, _Nonvascular Plants: An =
Evolutionary
Survey, Plants: An Evolutionary Survey_), an introductory bryophyte =
textbook
(_Introduction to Bryology_), as well as numerous field handbooks.=20
Wilf taught courses in Phytogeography, Bryology, and =93Ferns and =
Allies=94. As
a teacher he was tireless. He devoted considerable energy updating his
notes, which he did yearly. In the bryology and ferns course he used =
fresh
material as much as possible, which he often collected the day of the =
lab or
the day before. Sometimes he would do so by walking through the Pacific
Spirit Park on his way to work.
=20
The introductory bryophyte textbook gained some notoriety. The book =
arose as
a result of the bryology course, and is an expansion of his notes for =
that
course. It was published in 1986 and earned several accolades: =
=93Excellence
in book design and production=94 by the Association of American =
Publishers,
and the George Lawson Medal for 1986 for the same book _Introduction to
Bryology_ by the Canadian Botanical Association for "single contribution =
to
botanical knowledge of outstanding distinction."
Wilf had a deep love of field work which lasted to the end of his life: =
he
had spent the summer in Alaska before his passing later that fall. He
believed that to truly understand and know the bryophytes, one had to =
see
and study them in their natural habitat. It was only in this way that =
one
could learn the habitats and microhabitat requirement of individual =
species
and understand their morphological diversity. His direct and extensive
experience with bryophytes in the field was reflected not only in his =
works,
but also in his reputation: he was considered by colleagues, students, =
and
acquaintances to be a wealth of botanical knowledge and was frequently
sought after for advice and information.
There were very few years in which Wilf did not spend a summer in the =
field.
Most of his field work was in British Columbia. He was particularly fond =
of
the Queen Charlotte Islands, where he conducted field work over 35 =
years. He
also spent many seasons along the coast and worked five summers in the
Atlantic Provinces. During the last 15 years of his life however, =
summers
were spent collecting in the Aleutian Islands. The latter work will
culminate in a moss flora of the Aleutians, one which is nearly =
complete. It
will be finished posthumously.
Wilf was an avid plant collector. Some referred to him as a =91garbage
bagger=92 in reference to the volumes of material that he amassed during =
field
trips. But there was a reason for this =91madness=92. Wilf felt strongly =
that if
one was to collect for science, then it was important to obtain good
material, and enough material for duplicates. As a result, the =
bryophyte
collection at UBC is second in size only to the National Museum in =
Ottawa
(CANM) =96 all due to Wilf=92s assiduousness. On size of the CANM =
collection
Wilf would remark that, =93CANM is only bigger because I sent them so =
many
duplicates!=94 In any case, there are many herbaria around the world =
that will
never be able to repay their =93exchange=92 debt to UBC because of =
Wilf=92s hard
work. Moreover, the =93data=94 in the form of specimen vouchers that =
Wilf has
contributed to bryology will always remain invaluable to our =
understanding
of the distributions of bryophytes. His last collecting number was =
128,619.
It was a _Bryum_ species collected from Umak Island, not long after the
volcano erupted.
The greatness of individuals is often measured by their accomplishments.
While Wilf=92s accomplishments in bryology will be remembered and have
influence on the science for many years, it will undoubtedly be the =
person
himself that many of us will remember most. Wilf was a great person, a
genuine, generous and welcoming person. On my first meeting with him, he
ushered me into his office and immediately offered me a cup o=92 tea. We =
then
chatted and discussed bryology, politics, books and many other topics. =
I
later watched him welcome many others into his office, students, =
colleagues,
professors. All were treated equally and with sincere hospitality. Wilf
will be dearly missed.
A more detailed obituary will appear in _The Bryologist_ later in 2009.
A Celebration of Wilfred Schofield=92s Life will take place on May 9th, =
from 5
=96 9 PM at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver.
DR. WILF SCHOFIELD - MENTOR
From: Wynne Miles [wynnemiles@shaw.ca]
For the accompanied photos see:=20
http://bomi.ou.edu/ben/404/ben_404_2_a.jpg
http://bomi.ou.edu/ben/404/ben_404_2_b.jpg
http://bomi.ou.edu/ben/404/ben_404_2_c.jpg
Photos by Wynne Miles
=20
Mentors can play an important role in shaping a life. Wilf started his
academic career at Acadia University with the intention of becoming a =
school
teacher but, partly due to the encouragement of several mentors, he =
went on
to earn two graduate degrees in Botany and then to a successful and =
lengthy
career as a Bryologist.
In his turn, Wilf mentored many botany students. He taught for over 30
years at the University of British Columbia and, in later years, at =
multiday
workshops. He was a gifted teacher; always eager to help and share his
knowledge. He would willingly delve into taxonomic keys and his vast =
library
to assist in the identification of an interesting but troublesome =
specimen.
I first met Wilf at a bryoforay held at Mesachie Lake in the spring of =
1999.
His enthusiasm and love for bryophytes was infectious and I was inspired =
to
focus on these small but infinitely fascinating plants.=20
Two years later, I took Bryology (Biology 321) at the University of =
British
Columbia. Wilf had been retired since 1992 and was a professor =
emeritus.
However, at that time and over the next eight years, he came to work
regularly, visited the Bryology 321 lab sessions to help the students, =
gave
guest lectures and encouraged the students to consult with him. He was
generous with his time. I and many others enjoyed long conversations =
over
cups of tea; with topics ranging from bryology, ecology and =
phytogeography,
to music, politics, the value of an education (versus training!) and the
need for pure research.
Wilf was an extraordinary botanist, a fine gentleman, and a good friend =
and
mentor to many lucky people. He will be missed.
WILF SCHOFIELD: A WATERFALL TRIBUTE
From: Trevor Goward & Curtis Bjork, Enlichened Consulting Ltd,
Edgewood Blue, Box 131, Clearwater, BC, Canada V0E 1N0
tgoward@interchange.ubc.ca=20
To all who knew him, Wilf Schofield was a warm, generous human being =
whose
keen intelligence and deep, abiding curiosity suited him to a wide range =
of
intellectual and aesthetic pursuits, including bryophytes, =
phytogeography,
taxonomy, "hay-baling" (collecting), writing, music, literature, poetry,
and, not least, good wines. A few of us knew Wilf also as a dedicated
environmentalist, whose moral outrage around certain human activities -
industrial logging, open-pit mining, hydroelectric projects, air =
pollution,
urban sprawl - was often well rehearsed on his students, colleagues and
close friends. I do believe that much of Wilf's legendary passion for
teaching sprang from a conviction that he was helping to create a cadre =
of
environmentally dedicated taxonomists, some of whom would surely go on =
to
foil the best laid plans of CEO's, logging magnates, right-wing =
politicians
and other individuals endowed, presumably, with only vestigial limbic
systems.
=20
In the spring of 1992 Wilf and I (Trevor) were casting about for a =
project
that would get us out in the field together from time to time. After =
some
discussion, we decided to undertake a long-term study of bryophytes =
(Wilf)
and lichens (me) associated with waterfall spray zones. Actually this =
was an
obvious choice, given Wilf's long-standing love affair with waterfalls,
especially Bridal Veil Falls, near Chilliwack. One wonders just how many =
of
his friends, students and visiting colleagues found themselves invited =
out
for a day of collecting at the "Falls.". According to his collection =
books,
Wilf visited Bridal Veil Falls at least 53 times between 1964 and 2006 =
=96 27
times by himself and 26 in the company of others. When Nathalie =
Djan-Chekar,
Wilf's last Masters student, was working up her thesis on the bryophytes =
of
Bridal Veil Falls (completed in 1993), she had at her disposal a rich
assemblage of specimens that, added to her own collections, yielded 150
mosses and 60 liverworts!
See: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1348=20
In the end Wilf and I carried out only two waterfall inventories, both =
in
Wells Gray Park, where I have some favourite waterfalls of my own. Many =
more
outings were planned, but sadly these yielded to all the usual reasons
things don't get done: bad weather, unexpected visitors, pending =
deadlines,
family business and, in later years, declining vigour. Still our =
interest in
the project never waned, and we continued to discuss our personal
observations on waterfall bryophytes and lichens right up until Wilf's =
last
year. Thinking back over those conversations, I can easily follow a =
shift
from purely scientific considerations in the early days to a deepening
concern for the continued existence of waterfall habitats per se; but =
more
of that in a moment.
The spray zones created by waterfalls are effectively =91vertical =
wetlands=92
kept cool in summer, mild in winter, and consistently moister than
surrounding habitats as a result of constant exposure to atomized water.
Though Wilf and I at first intended to focus our study on waterfall =
spray
zones, we soon realized that waterfalls affect the occurrence of =
bryophytes
and lichens far beyond the reach of spray. Presumably this is owing to a
continuous outflow of cool air that promotes the establishment of =
oceanic
cryptogams. "Waterfall influence zone" or simply "waterfall zone" would
perhaps be more descriptive of the phenomenon as a whole.
We also quickly realized that not all waterfall zones are created equal, =
in
the sense that some promote rich cryptogam floras, while others do not.
Actually this is about what you'd expect given so many potential =
variations
in topography, aspect, associated talus, forest cover, and general =
habitat
heterogeneity. Superimposed over all this, of course, is water =
chemistry.
Even moderate amounts of calcium carbonate suspended in the spray of
waterfalls can promote assemblages of cryptogams very different from =
those
associated with streams less rich in nutrient loadings. Interestingly, =
this
means that knowing what bedrock type underlies a particular waterfall is
less important than knowing what bedrock types occur upstream. Also =
critical
here is water temperature, since warmer water holds more nutrients in
suspension than colder water. The resulting variation in water chemistry
could seem a bit of a nuisance, but for Wilf and me this is precisely =
what
made waterfall inventories so fascinating: predicting which species will =
or
won't turn up is tricky business. A bit like hunting for mushrooms, that
way.
Other factors also come to bear. For one thing, waterfalls with strong
seasonal variation in stream flow seem much poorer in regionally rare
cryptogams than waterfalls that flow at nearly equal volume year round. =
No
less critical, at least in inland regions, is the extent to which a =
given
waterfall freezes over in winter. This is because frozen spray can coat
trees and rocks in sheets of ice, and so prevent cryptogams from =
occupying
habitats that would otherwise tend to promote them. On the other hand,
waterfalls hidden behind a mask of ice in winter produce much less =
freezing
spray; they tend to be associated with healthy lichen communities. =
Likewise,
waterfall zones that have been recently disturbed, e.g., within the past
century, are much less likely to support "interesting" cryptogams than =
their
counterparts with much longer environmental continuity.
What is actually known about the biological significance of waterfall =
zones
in British Columbia? Not much, though what little we do know makes clear
that we urgently need to know much more. Obviously waterfall zones can =
be
thought of as ecological "petri dishes", that is, tiny islands of =
habitat
conducive to the establishment of species otherwise much more common
elsewhere. Effectively they function as range extenders, especially in
inland areas, where several macrolichens =96 for example _Anaptychia
setifera_, _Lobaria oregana_, _Pilophorus clavatus_, _Pseudocyphellaria
crocata_, _P. mallota_ =96 occur predominantly or even exclusively in =
the
vicinity of waterfalls. For species such as these, the highly localized
conditions characteristic of waterfalls zones often promote stable, =
durable
"source populations", thereby sustaining them in regions far outside =
their
main ranges. One wonders to what extent this tendency of waterfalls to
create disjunct populations might contribute to genetic variation within
certain species.=20
Unfortunately, all is not well with British Columbia's waterfalls. The =
B.C.
government projects a greatly increased demand for electricity in the =
years
ahead. In principle, half of this projected increase is supposed to be
offset by more efficient use of existing power. As for the other half, =
the
people of B.C. are being granted two options: either we put up with
fuel-burning electrical plants, or else we accept a combination of
windpower, geothermal power and hydropower. At the moment the favoured
option, at least by government, seems to be hydropower, which means we =
can
look forward either to further impoundment of the Peace River by the =
Site C
dam, or else to innumerable creek diversion projects. Or more likely =
both.
The creek diversion projects =96 "Run of the river" in government speak =
=96 are
to be constructed and operated by private firms. These, the independent
power producers, or IPPs, prefer to locate their intake dams on portions =
of
creeks where they tumble over steep, rocky ground. While the dams allow =
some
of the water to occupy the stream's original course, the remainder is
diverted through a pipe down to the powerhouse. Here diverted water is =
run
through turbines and then returned to the creek. The B.C. government is =
not
wrong to refer to these "run of the river" projects as a renewable =
energy
source; but the degree to which creek diversions are truly 'green' is
debatable. By diverting water from creeks, IPPs are certain to diminish =
the
ability of affected waterfalls to support rare bryophytes and lichens. =
No
less disturbing, road construction associated with these developments =
will
give access to some of the province's last remaining low-elevation
old-growth rainforests. Can chainsaws be far behind?=20
Creek diversion projects are becoming common in many parts of the world.
Biologists in other countries =96 India, New Zealand, Tanzania, the U.K. =
=96
have begun to speak out about the threats to biodiversity posed by the =
loss
of waterfall zones. Furthest ahead, perhaps, are the Norwegians, both in =
the
number of creeks now dedicated to hydropower production, and in public
outcry over the resulting drawdown on regional biodiversity. Here in =
British
Columbia, we really haven't begun to assess the scope of our own
conservation issues around the loss of waterfall zones. Early =
indications
are that we've overlooked a major axis of the province's biological
diversity. With more than 100 diversion projects already up and running, =
and
nearly 700 more awaiting government approval, maybe it's time we began =
to
take the implications of all this activity seriously. Wilf, I feel =
pretty
certain, would heartily approve.
THE ASIAN ELEMENT IN AFRICAN HEPATIC FLORA
From: Tam=E1s P=F3cs, Botany Department of Eszterh=E1zy College, Eger, =
Pf. 43,
H-3301, Hungary
colura@chello.hu=20
Disjunct liverworts occurring in tropical America and Africa were =
studied by
Gradstein et al. (1983), while Afro-Asian disjunct bryophytes =
(Palaeotropic
species) were studied by P=F3cs (1976, 1992). Seventy-two =
Afro-Asian/Pacific
Marchantiophyta (liverworts) were enumerated in the two studies.
Their distribution pattern is quite variable. There are species equally
distributed in both continents, e.g., _Cheilolejeunea serpentine_ =
(Mitt.)
Mizut. and _Cephaloziella kiaeri_ (Aust.) Douin. The latter (and many =
more)
also occur in Australasia and in the Pacific islands. There are species =
with
their main distribution in Africa with scattered occurrences in Asia, =
such
as _Lejeunea tuberculosa_ Steph. (tropical Africa + Himalaya), and even =
more
with the bulk of their distribution on the Asian continent and rare in
Africa, like _Calycularia crispula_ Mitt., _Drepanolejeunea ternatensis_
(Gottsche) Schiffn., _Gottschelia schizopleura_ (Spruce) Grolle. Quite a
number of Asian-Oceanian species reach westwards only to the Indian =
Ocean
Islands (Seychelles, Madagascar, Mascarenes, Comores) in Africa and do =
not
occur on the continent. These include _Archilejeunea planiuscula_ =
(Mitt.)
Steph., _Schiffneriolejeunea tumida_ (Nees) Gradst., and _Spruceanthus
marinaus_ (Gottsche) Mizut. on the Seychelles, _Cololejeunea =
peponiformis_
Mizut. in Madagascar and in R=E9union, and _Wiesnerella denudate_ =
(Mitt.)
Steph. in R=E9union.
Recent investigations (e.g.,P=F3cs 1995, and some other works) revealed =
the
presence of more Asian/Pacific species mainly from the East African =
Islands:
_Cheilolejeunea pluriplicata_ (Pears.) R.M. Schust. (African mountains =
incl.
the Indian Ocean islands, recently known from Himalaya) _Cheilolejeunea
ventricosa_ (Schiffn.) He (Mauritius) _Haplomitrium blumei_ (Nees) R.M.
Schust. (Rwanda, Zaire) _Harpalejeunea filicuspis_ (Steph.) Mizut.
(Seychelles, Comores) _Iwatsukia jishibae_ (Steph.) Kitag. (Bioko, =
Malawi,
Seychelles, Comores, Madagascar, R=E9union, Mauritius) _Leptolejeunea
elliptica_ (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Schiffn. (Comores) _Metalejeunea =
cucullata_
(Reinw. Et al.) Grolle (Seychelles, Comores)=20
The known number of Afro-Asian disjuncts increased also because of =
synonyms
established between species described under different names on the two
continents, such as:
_Bazzania praerupta_ (Reinw. et al.) Trevis. (tropical Africa) =
_Cololejeunea
vidaliana_ Tixier (Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius,
Rodriguez) _Cheilolejeunea trapezia_ (Nees) Kachroo & R.M.Schust. =
(tropical
Africa).
REFERENCES
P=F3cs, T. (1976): Correlations between the tropical African and Asian
bryofloras. I.=20
_J. Hattori Bot. Lab._ 41: 95-106.=20
P=F3cs, T. (1992): Correlation between the tropical African and Asian
bryofloras. II. -=20
In: Koponen T., Hyv=F6nen, J. (eds.), Proceedings of the Congress of
East Asiatic
Bryology, Helsinki, August 12-19, 1990. _Bryobrothera_ 1: 35-47.
P=F3cs, T. (1995): East African Bryophytes, XIV. Hepaticae from the =
Indian
Ocean Islands. _Fragm. Flor. Geobot._ 40: 251-277.
BOOK REVIEW: BRYOPHYTE BIOLOGY 2nd Ed. (2008)
From: Terry McIntosh, ttmcintosh@shaw.ca , Vancouver, British Columbia
Goffinet, B. & A. Jonathan Shaw [eds.] 2008.=20
_Bryophyte Biology_. Second Edition. xiv+565 p., Cambridge University =
Press,
Cambridge. ISBN 13: 978-0-521-87225-6 [hard cover]
Price: US$150.00, ISBN 13: 978-0-521-69322-6 [soft cover] Price: =
US$70.00.=20
Available from:=20
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
http://www.cambridge.org/us/ The Edinburgh Bldg., Cambridge CB2 2RU, =
United
Kingdom http://www.cup.cam.ac.uk =20
Scholarly bryology books, ranging from floras to reviews, are few in =
number
and scattered through time, reflecting the paucity of bryologists when
compared to the large population of vascular plant scientists. However,
bryology books that make it through the murkiness of the publishing =
gauntlet
must be applauded. Such applause is certainly warranted with the second
edition of _Bryophyte Biology_. Even though it has been only eight years
between editions, so much has happened in some of the fields covered in =
this
new edition that updates are both necessary and highly informative =
making
this edition a valuable contribution to the libraries of serious
bryologists. As with the earlier edition, the content of the new edition =
of
_Bryophyte Biology_ is somewhat limited and, as a colleague pointed out,
=91lab-based=92, focused mainly on morphology and classification, =
evolutionary
studies, and physiological ecology, with chapters on populations and
community ecology, peatlands, and conservation. Most of the chapters =
contain
extensive updates from the first edition, and some new information is
presented, in particular the importance of the moss genus Physcomitrella =
to
plant genomic research, research on bryophyte drought tolerance, and a
phylogenomic perspective on land plant evolution. Major strengths of the =
new
edition are the clarity of the writing, which makes some potentially =
dense
dialogue readily available to the reader, and the excellent and thorough
reviews of primary literature. The preface not only effectively =
introduces
the focus and goals of the book, and outlines its limitations, but also
firmly states that bryophytes are being taken seriously and are no =
longer
considered =91evolutionarily boring=92. It also notes that some of the
evolutionary and classification concepts introduced in the book are
controversial, and certainly not final answers. The goals of this =
edition of
_Bryophyte Biology_ are similar to the first edition, that is either as =
a
text for a bryology course, or as a reference for scientists working =
with
bryophytes in specific fields. This book is certainly useful as a =
reference,
but I am unsure of its value as a course text, given that most bryology
courses (when they exist) are more basic in nature and may not benefit =
from
using this text. I am also uncertain, given the cost of the book and its
limited focus, whether _Bryophyte Biology_ is useful to the novice
bryologist, a person who appreciates bryophytes but has had little or no
training given the lack of available courses or specialists to help =
them.
However, each chapter is so well thought out, and the introductions to =
the
various groups of bryophytes clear and highly informative, that it may =
prove
to be a =91good read=92 for novices wishing to advance their knowledge =
of
bryophytes. Minor criticisms include the poor quality of some of the
photographs (too small or too gray) and, possibly, the lack of a =
glossary,
although the use of Google rectifies most if not all concerns about
terminology and, in some cases, the illustrations. Another review and =
the
Table of Contents for this second edition can be viewed at:
www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=3D0521693225 =20
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