Diversity of bryophytes in urban ecosystem

The aim of the project was to investigate plant population processes, including genetic diversity, demographic structure and the role of selection in the maintenance of adaptive variation, and to find the causes influencing the performance of plant populations occupying urban ecosystems when compared to natural ecosystems. The two specific hypotheses were the following: (1) Plants in urban and natural habitats differ in the amount and distribution of genetic variation, and (2) the characteristics of genetic variation have a relationship with the prevalence and performance of the plant species in its habitat. The project concentrated on three common bryophyte species to gain knowledge of the role of genetic diversity in the adaptation and performance of plants in urban ecosystems. The plants were analysed for population ecological characteristics and for population genetic variation.