The aim of this module is to introduce students to the spore producing plants (the ‘lower plants’, also known as thallophytes or cryptogams): algae, lichen, bryophytes (mosses and liverworts and hornworts) and pteridophytes (ferns and horsetails). The study of this group helps students understand diverse plant-specific traits, better comprehend evolutionary process, and untangle genetic and metabolic networks. 'Cryptogams' make up around 84 % of the worlds ‘botanical' diversity. The module covers evolution and taxonomy of cryptogams and their importance.
This module is intended to provide students with an understanding of the process of assisting in the recovery of increasingly damaged, degraded or destroyed ecosystems to improve biodiversity conservation, human livelihoods, and ecosystem productivity.