Moss sporophytes and their consumers: an overlooked interaction

The evolution of plant-feeding in animals is deeply intertwined with the unintentional transport of diaspores. Zoochory (the dispersal of plant diaspores by animals) has been extensively studied in flowering plants, particularly with regard to seeds and fruits. Bryophytes, in contrast, have poorly been investigated, despite possessing traits favorable for animal-mediated dispersal: they are small, easily transported, and exhibit high totipotent capacity. It has long been believed that bryophytes are rarely consumed by animals. However, our field survey into sporophyte-feeding across diverse forest-dwelling mosses (the largest clade of bryophytes) revealed the ubiquity of spore consumption. This finding prompts a re-evaluation of the ecological function of the sporophyte in the alternation of generations in mosses. Moreover, our data suggest that this interaction may be framed within the mutualism–antagonism continuum. Finally, I aim to clarify key questions surrounding the reproduction and dispersal of spore-producing plants, particularly bryophytes.