Bryology is the study of Bryophytes, the group of plants including mosses, liverworts and hornworts.
Lepidozia reptans: A leafy liverwort
Bryophytes are everywhere, but because they are difficult to see, and their beauty is only obvious to those with a hand lens or microscope, they have been overlooked by most naturalists, and even by most botanists. Consequently, there are no popular field guides, and even comprehensive illustrated technical florae have not been completed for the Western United States. Even if one were to have such texts, learning to identify bryophytes without guidance is a formidable challenge. Like any science, there are new terms to learn, and the plant's tiny size requires special dissection techniques and microscopes to examine the features thus revealed.
Anthoceros sp. : A hornwort
Probably the best way to start is to take classes offered by various institutions. See the Links page, or the events and classes page to see suggestions for finding class offerings available to the public. In the mean time, take a look at the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association and/or the UBC website linked on the links page. Or you can look at Basic Bryophyte Biology or an Introduction to the study of Bryophytes PowerPoint presentations available on this site.
Dendroalsia abietans: A moss
One of the most exciting aspects of the study of Bryophytes is a direct result of the difficulty encountered in studying them. Because they have been largely ignored, they are also massively under-collected. This presents the opportunity to find plants that represent major range extensions, and, not uncommonly, plants that are new to science. Thus, even the amateur collector can make major contributions to science. So it is very important to learn to collect bryophytes correctly! Click here to see how I feel it should be done.