Biology of Sphagnum

The Sphagnum mosses receive recognition for the central role they play in the ecology of mire wetland ecosystems and for their high monetary value as both a major constituent of commercially harvested peat and a source of raw material for several products. The International Association of Bryologists and the British Bryological Society sponsered an international symposium on research involving Sphagnum. A part of the contributed papers was suited to the review format of the Advances in Bryology. These papers are status reports on research into various aspects of the biology of Sphagnum and the role of peat mosses in extant ecosystems. From the papers can be gleaned an understanding both of the problems that remain and what has been learned about the peat mosses in recent decades.