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What is the International Association of Bryologists?
The International Association of Bryologists (IAB) is a global society for anyone interested in bryophytes—mosses, liverworts and hornworts—whether amateur naturalist or professional researcher. Its stated mission is to promote international cooperation and communication among people who study these plants. In practice it functions as a hub: it organizes meetings, publishes research and news, and distributes grants and prizes.
What it actually does
- Meetings: an international congress every two years; the 27th IAB Congress is announced for 26–30 July 2027 in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme "High-Mountain Bryophytes." Virtual meetings are also listed (for example, one on 29 October 2026).
- Publications: the peer-reviewed journal Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution and the membership newsletter The Bryological Times (the June 2026 issue, Vol. 163, carries 13 articles).
- Support for the field: grants and prizes, plus various bryology-linked projects.
- Learning resources: a curated set of external introductions to bryophyte biology, including material from the Australian National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens, the British Bryological Society, New Zealand conservation networks, and Janice Glime's comprehensive e-book.
- A lighter touch: a "Bryophyte of the Day" image feature (photographs by Des Callaghan).
Who it suits
| Reader | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| Academic or field researcher | Journal access, congress networking, grant opportunities |
| Amateur moss enthusiast | Newsletter, identification resources, community contact |
| Student or newcomer | Free-standing learning links and a route into the society |
| Conservation worker or ecologist | Contact with specialists, news of projects and meetings |
A practical next step
If you are new to bryophytes, start with the "Discover Bryophytes and Bryology" links before joining anything—they will tell you whether the subject holds your interest. If you already work in the field, the congress page and the latest Bryological Times issue are the quickest way to judge whether membership would pay off for you. For a parallel national perspective, the British Bryological Society publishes identification guidance aimed at beginners.
How do I become a member of the IAB and what benefits does membership include?
You join the International Association of Bryologists by using the “Become a Member” link on its homepage. The site presents membership as open to anyone interested in bryophytes, whether amateur or professional, so you don’t need an academic post to apply. Membership then connects you to the association’s main activities: international congresses held every two years, its peer-reviewed journal Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution, the Bryological Times newsletter, grants and prizes, and bryology-related projects.
What membership gives you
- A professional and amateur community. The IAB’s stated mission is international cooperation and communication among everyone interested in bryophyte biology. For a hobbyist recording mosses locally, that means access to a wider network of people doing similar work.
- Publications. The journal and newsletter are the clearest concrete benefits named on the site. The June 2026 Bryological Times (Vol. 163) is described as containing 13 articles, which suggests a substantial newsletter rather than a brief update.
- Events. The next congress is scheduled for 26–30 July 2027 in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme “High-Mountain Bryophytes.” Members are also invited to virtual meetings, such as one listed for 29 October 2026.
- Grants and prizes. The association lists these among its main activities, which is relevant if you are a student or early-career researcher needing support to attend a meeting or carry out fieldwork.
A practical next step
Open the membership page and check the current joining instructions and any fee information there, since the homepage does not state costs. If you are deciding whether to join, ask yourself what you want most: the newsletter and journal for regular reading, congress participation, or grant eligibility. A reader who mainly wants free introductory material can start with the learning resources the IAB links to, such as the British Bryological Society’s beginner guidance at British Bryological Society, and join later once a specific event or publication makes membership worthwhile.
When and where is the next IAB Congress, and how do I register or submit an abstract?
The next IAB Congress is scheduled for 26–30 July 2027 in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme "High-Mountain Bryophytes." The site's news items present this as a "save the date" announcement and a congress update video, so treat the dates and location as confirmed but check back for the formal program.
Registering and submitting an abstract
The page evidence does not yet show a registration form, fee schedule or abstract submission deadline. Those details typically appear on a dedicated congress page or in a circular closer to the event. In the meantime:
- Follow the news feed on The International Association of Bryologists for congress updates, which is where the save-the-date and video announcements were posted.
- Join IAB if you plan to attend; the association circulates member notices (for example, an invitation to a virtual meeting on 29 October 2026), and members are usually the first to receive registration and abstract instructions.
- Watch The Bryological Times, the membership newsletter, which carries congress notices alongside its articles.
Practical next step
If you want to present work in Bogotá, start drafting your abstract now around the high-mountain theme, and confirm the submission window before booking travel. For background reading while you prepare, the journal Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution and the linked learning resources on the site (including the British Bryological Society at British Bryological Society and the Glime e-book) are useful for framing a high-mountain bryophyte topic.
What kinds of grants and prizes does the IAB award, and who is eligible to apply?
The IAB page confirms that awarding grants and prizes is one of the association's main activities, but it does not list the specific grant schemes, prize categories, award amounts, application requirements or eligibility rules. Those details are not stated on the page, so they cannot be confirmed from it.
What the page does establish
- Grants and prizes are a standing part of IAB's work, alongside biennial meetings, its peer-reviewed journal Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution, the Bryological Times newsletter, and bryology-linked projects.
- The association describes its mission as promoting international cooperation and communication among everyone interested in bryophyte biology, "whether amateur or professional." This suggests an inclusive community, but it is a statement of mission, not proof of who may apply for any particular award.
- Membership is presented as the way to join the community, and members are invited to take part in activities such as the virtual meeting announced for 29 October 2026.
Practical next step
If you are considering applying, treat the award specifics as something to verify directly with IAB rather than infer. A student planning fieldwork, for example, should check the current call for each grant for eligibility, deadlines and permitted costs before budgeting around it. The site's news section and the linked member area are the natural places to look for announcements, and the forthcoming page of links to bryological societies worldwide may help you find regional bodies that also offer small grants. Related learned societies, such as the British Bryological Society, publish their own award schemes, which can be useful comparisons for eligibility and scope.
As a rule of thumb, contact the association's officers with a short description of your project and status (student, early-career researcher, amateur) and ask which scheme fits; that is more reliable than assuming a single application route.
How can I submit a manuscript to Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution or read the latest issue?
Submitting a manuscript to Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution is handled through the journal itself, not through the association's homepage: the IAB site introduces the journal and its newsletter, The Bryological Times, under "Discover our Latest Publications," but author guidelines, submission portals and current issue contents sit with the journal. Use the IAB page to confirm the journal is active and peer reviewed, then follow its publication link to reach the journal's own site, where you will find the latest issue and the instructions for authors (scope, formatting, and how to submit).
A practical route
- Confirm fit first. Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution is a peer-reviewed journal for bryophyte research; if your manuscript is about mosses, liverworts or hornworts, you are in the right field. Read two or three recent articles to see the typical length, structure and level of taxonomic or ecological detail.
- Read the author guidelines before drafting. Check the required format, reference style, figure specifications and any data or nomenclature requirements. Reformatted manuscripts are the most common avoidable delay.
- Use the journal's submission system. Most journals of this kind accept submissions through an online portal listed in their author instructions; the IAB homepage does not itself host a submission form.
- Read the latest issue while you wait. The current issue is the best guide to what the editors publish and how accepted papers look, and it tells you whether your topic fits the present scope.
Where the association helps
The IAB's own activities support authors in indirect ways: biennial congresses (the 2027 congress in Bogotá is announced on the site), grants and prizes, and the newsletter Bryological Times, whose June 2026 issue (Vol. 163) is noted with 13 articles. Presenting at a congress or corresponding with members working on your group can sharpen a manuscript before submission.
If your work is not a research paper
The Bryological Times is a membership newsletter rather than a peer-reviewed journal. News, meeting reports, short notes and community announcements more naturally belong there; check with the association about newsletter contributions rather than sending them to the journal.
Other places to learn the field's conventions
For background before writing, the IAB page points to introductory resources, including material from the Australian National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens and the British Bryological Society's learning pages at British Bryological Society. Reading how established authors frame introductions and describe specimens in those resources, and in recent journal articles, is the quickest way to meet the journal's expectations.
Next step: open the journal's page from the IAB publications section, download the author guidelines and the most recent issue, and compare one of your draft sections against a published article in your subject area before submitting.
What are bryophytes, and where can beginners find reliable resources to start learning bryology?
Bryophytes are the group of plants that includes mosses, liverworts and hornworts: small, spore-producing plants that lack the flowers, seeds and true vascular tissue of ferns and flowering plants. They are most often found in damp, shaded places—forest floors, rock faces, tree bark, bogs and stream banks—and many can survive drying out and rehydrate later. "Bryology" is simply the study of these plants, and it is unusually welcoming to beginners because much of it can be done with a hand lens and patience rather than a laboratory.
A realistic starting path
- Learn the three groups first. Being able to tell a moss from a liverwort from a hornwort is the single most useful early skill. Leafy liverworts in particular are frequently mistaken for mosses.
- Start in your own area. Identify a handful of common species near home and learn their names and habitat preferences; local familiarity teaches more than a long list of exotic species.
- Use a hand lens and photographs. A 10× lens and close-up photos of the same patch over time will reveal the features that identification guides rely on.
- Join a community. Beginners benefit greatly from other people checking their identifications and pointing out what they missed.
Where to find reliable material
The International Association of Bryologists is a sensible first stop. Its site explains that its mission is to promote international cooperation among everyone interested in bryophyte biology, "whether amateur or professional," and it collects links to learning resources of varying depth—including an introduction to bryophyte biology and ecology, guides to mosses and liverworts, and a comprehensive e-book on bryology. It also publishes the peer-reviewed journal Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution and the newsletter The Bryological Times, which are useful for seeing what working bryologists currently discuss.
For structured identification help, British Bryological Society is a strong choice if you are in or near Britain; regional societies generally offer the most usable keys and local species lists. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, the Australian national herbarium and botanic garden material linked from the IAB site is a better fit, and New Zealand resources cover mosses, liverworts and hornworts separately.
Choosing between them
| If your goal is… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding what bryophytes are | IAB's introductory links | Broad overview across all three groups |
| Identifying species in your region | A national or regional bryological society | Local keys, records and expertise |
| Following current research | Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution | Peer-reviewed, international scope |
| Meeting other beginners and experts | Society membership and field meetings | Feedback on your own identifications |
A practical next step: pick one local habitat, such as a shaded wall or a single tree trunk, and record what you find there over a season, using a regional key to check identifications. That small, repeated exercise builds the observational habits that bryology depends on far faster than reading broadly without looking closely.
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