Reproductive strategies of Bryum dunense in three microhabitats in the Negev desert

Abstract The role of dew, fog, and rain in the development of reproductive organs in the moss Bryum dunense A.J.E. Smith & H. Whitehouse (B. bicolor complex) was examined in three different microhabitats within a dune field in the Negev Desert. Growth and reproduction were compared prior to the first rainfall of the winter and subsequently twice during the winter. The microhabitats, differing in their exposure to radiation and precipitation, were 1) an exposed site, 2) a shaded (under a shrub canopy) site, and 3) a partially shaded microhabitat at the foot of a north-facing dune slope. We hypothesized that both microhabitat and time of year would impact the reproductive strategies of the species. In all three microhabitats, reproductive organs were initiated prior to the first winter rain. The source of bryophyte wetness was atmospheric humidity from dew and fog. The type and the extent of development of the reproductive organs was habitat dependent. Prior to the rains, antheridia and archegonia were scar...