Economic and biological importance of bryophyta

Economic and biological importance of bryophyta- direct and indirect use, medicinal use, etc

1. JAI NARAIN VYAS UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY PAPER: BOT-104 TOPIC – ECONOMIC AND BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF BRYOPHYTA Submitted To: Submitted By: Dr. Ashok Kumar Patel Anmol Mertiya Msc . Previous(1-sem.)

2. Economic Importance of Bryophyta Bryophyta has shown its economic importance since stone age when pre-historic man had made uses of feather moss ( Neckera crispa ). Economic importance of Bryophytes are summarized into two categories: - A. Direct use of Bryophytes. B. Indirect use of Bryophytes.

3. Direct use of Bryophytes 1. Uses of Suphagnum and the peat 2. Medicinal uses of Bryophytes 4. Use as pollution indicators 5. Bryophytes as a source of food 6. Use of Bryophytes in experimental Botany 7. Uses of Bryophytes as indicator plants

4. Indirect Use of Bryophytes Soil Conservation Formation of soil Role as rock builders Bog succession

5. Uses of Suphagnum and the peat Sphagnum - belongs to Bryopsida . commonly called peat moss or bog moss plants have capability to withhold water two hundred times more than their own weight. The peat has much economic value such as – Dried peat is cut into pieces and used as fuel. Peat is mixed in clayey soil to keep it porous and mixed in sandy soil to improve its water holding capacity. Due to great absorptive power and antiseptic properties , sphagnum are used as gauze for dressing wounds. Many chemical products such as alcohol, ammonium sulphate, peat tar, paraffin, nitrates, brown dye, tanning materials, etc., are obtained from peat. Peat is used as mattress filler and bedding material for domestic animals.

6. Domestic fuel peat gauze for dressing wounds Bedding material for cattle

7. Medicinal uses of Bryophytes Marchantia polymorpha - cures pulmonary tuberculosis and afflictions of the liver. Marchantia polymorpha , M. Stellata & Polytrichum commune - has anti-tumour properties. boiling dried Sphagnum - used in the treatment of haemorrhage and eye diseases. Tea prepared from Polytrichum commune is used to dissolve kidney and gall bladder stones. distillate of peat tar( Sphagnol ) - used in the treatment of skin diseases. mosses are used in the preparation of an ointment for cuts, bums and wounds

8. Sphagnum dressings were first used on a large scale during the Russo-Japanese war (1904- 1905). advantages of Sphagnum dressings over cotton They absorbed 16-20 times their own dry weight of liquid , whereas cotton dressings could only absorb 4-6 times. They were cool and soothing because the moss is porous a dressing was found to be comparatively dry for 24 hours after an operation in cases where the wound had bled quite freely. The dressing could be left on for up to 2-3 days which is much longer than cotton dressings. Sphagnum itself has mild antiseptic properties not possessed by cotton.

9. USE AS POLLUTION INDICATORS Dried mosses have property to absorb metals and therefore, used to detect the presence of heavy metal cations in their surroundings.

10. UV-B Radiation The moss Bryum argenteum is being used to monitor the thickness of the ozone layer over Antarctica.

11. BRYOPHYTES AS A SOURCE OF FOOD Peat moss - famine food in China capsule of moor inhabiting mosses- favourite food of the red grouse chicks. Barbella pendula - has a high content of vitamin B12

12. Bryophytes In Experimental Botany plays an important role as research tools in fields such as genetics , experimental morphology and physiology . The mechanism of sex determination in plants was discovered for the first time in a liverwort Sphaerocarpos. LIVERWORTS Sphaerocarpos

13. Uses of Bryophytes as indicator plants Leucobryum, Polytrichum, Rhacomitrium - indicate acidity of soil. Tortell tortusa , Neckera crispa - indicate the basicity of soil. Polytrichum sp. Neckera crispa

14. SOIL CONSERVATION It prevent the erosion of soil . Moss stems and underground rhizoids bind the soil particles together to a considerable depth (6-8 inches). Mosses like polytrichum, atrichum and ceratodon are grown to Prevent soil erosion around apples and pears .

15. FORMATION OF SOIL Lichens are the pioneers to grow on barren rocks. They secrete some acids and cause weathering so that a thin layer of humus is formed over the rocky surface . Mosses grow on this surface and cover whole area . The dust particles accumulate between the erect moss stem and a soil layer is formed, which favours small herbs to grow on it. Later the herb stage is succeeded by shrubs and trees.

16. ROLE AS ROCK BUILDERS mosses ( Bryum , Hypnum ) grow in association with other aquatic plants ( Chara and other algae) playing an important role as rock builders. These plants grow in water bodies which contain a large amount of calcium bicarbonate. The insoluble calcium carbonate precipitates. The insoluble minerals, on exposure, hardens forming Calcareous (lime) rock-like deposits around these plants. These deposits are extensively used as a building stone.

17. As Construction Material aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretics is used for filling spaces between the chimney and walls to prevent fires. I n Alaska, chinking of wooden and log cabins is done using bryophytes. In northern Europe Sphagnum is stuffed between timber used in houses to deaden the sound . construction materials like " peat crete ", " peat wood ", and " peat foam " made from Sphagnum for solidification and strengthening.

18. MOSS INDUSTRY

19. USE AS DECORATIVE MATERIAL It is used in shop window displays, as green carpets for floral exhibitions, for making moss roses, for decorating hats .

20. AS PACKING MATERIAL Moist Sphagnum is used for packing live frogs, snakes, lizards, worms and some insects for shipment. Nurserymen wet Sphagnum for supplying live plants and also for shipment of vegetables, cacti, ferns and other delicate plants.

21. USES OF BRYOPHYTES IN HORTICULTURE

22. BRYOPHYTES AND RESEARCH WORK Discovery of chromosomes Sex chromosomes were first identified in plants in 1917 in the liverwort Sphaerocarpos donnellii. Alternation of Generations Alternation of generations was observes in Sphagnum for first time. Artificial Production of Polyploids In 1911 E. Marchal and E. Marchal demonstrated the artificial production of polyploids in plants by culturing mosses. Discovery of Heterochromatin Heterochromatin was discovered in the nucleus of plants by using mosses. Hormones It has been observed that bryophytes also contain hormones such as auxin, cytokinins, ethylene and abscisic acid.

23. USE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY Transgenic Physcomitrella are now being used to produce ‘blood clotting factor IX’ for treatment of haemophilia’B and other proteins.

24. FOOD AND SHELTER

25. USED AS PESTICIDES When tracheophytes are stored in an herbarium, moth balls can provide protection from beetle infestation.