Arthropods, Bryobionts, Bryophagous, Bryophytes, Density, Mosses

Bryophytes provide an ideal environment for a range of bryobionts and a food source for bryophages. As climate change alters the cover of bryophytes in the environment, these changes have an impact on invertebrate communities. Density of arthropods in mosses can be difficult to evaluate, since unbiased estimates cannot be made by any standard sampling method, including the sieving. Manual inspection is the only way to do it, although it is referred to as “dirty hard work”. Our aim was to quantify the attractiveness of individual bryophytes species for bryophages and bryobionts. At 42 localities, we collected 633 quadrates of moss layer with a size of 0.25 m2. We gathered data for > 60 species of bryophytes and obtained > 7,500 invertebrates, including > 800 bryophages. We analyzed data for the 20 most common bryophytes (area > 1 m2, occurrence in ≥ 10 quadrates) using GLMMs. Campylopus introflexus was the most preferred bryophyte for bryobionts but hosted low densities of bryophages. Bryophages and bryobionts densities did not correlate. The exception was Pohlia nutans preferred within both groups. Our results provide the first quantified comparison of the attractiveness of individual bryophyte species for arthropods.