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Patrick Drohan, Tom Dyle (Farmer), Eddie Burgess (Teagasc)

Due to their unique physiology and role in essential ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling and ecosystem succession, bryophytes often serve as bio-indicators of environmental change (Brown and Bates, 1990). In the Northcentral Appalachians, bryophytes are present in and around vernal pools, and their presence may reflect differences in the sequestration of soil carbon.