Diversity of Bryophytes Observed at the Narmada College Campus, Narmadapuram. Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Bryophytes comprising mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are small, non-vascular land plants recognized as critical components of terrestrial ecosystems. They actively contribute to soil formation, moisture retention, nutrient cycling, and microhabitat development. The present study documents the bryophyte diversity observed on the Narmada College campus in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh, situating local observations within the broader bryological context of Central India. Field surveys conducted across old walls, garden patches, shaded tree bases, damp soil, and semi-open habitats yielded ten bryophyte taxa. These include common mosses (Tortula muralis, Fissidens dubius, and Funaria hygrometrica), liverworts (Riccia crystallina, R. gangetica, R. glauca, R. attenuata, and Cyathodium cavernarum), and hornworts (Anthoceros punctatus and Notothylas sp.). This study highlights that even relatively small urban educational campuses can function as valuable refugia for cryptogamic diversity, provided that microhabitats remain undisturbed and sufficiently moist.