Bryophytes of Europe Traits (BET) dataset: a fundamental tool for bryological studies

Bryophytes are a diverse group of organisms with unique properties, yet they are severelyunderrepresented in plant trait databases. Building on the recently published European Red List ofbryophytes and previous trait compilations, we present the Bryophytes of Europe Traits (BET) dataset,including biological traits such as those related to life history, growth habit, sexual and vegetativereproduction, ecological traits such as indicator values, substrate and habitat, and bioclimatic variablesbased on the species’ European range. The dataset includes values for 65 traits and 25 bioclimaticvariables, containing more than 135 000 trait values with a completeness of 82.7% on average. Thedataset will enable future studies in bryophyte biology, ecology and conservation and may help toanswer fundamental questions in bryology.