Terrestrial bryophytes were investigated in mangrove forests of Japan. Only Fissidens microcladus was found in central parts of the forests restricted to the tops of soil mounds created by nest-building activities of the crustacean, Thalassina anomala. At these sites, the moss is not submerged even in high tide. The plants of F. microcladus from mangrove forests were larger than those from saxicolous populations in other kinds of forest. On tops of similar soil mounds at the marginal parts of inland sides of mangrove forests, some other bryopytes were found together with F. microcladus. Lepidozia mamillosa was found on sandy soil around the mangrove swamps.

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Nitrate reductase activities were detected in crude extracts from the thalli of Marchantia polymoypha and from the suspension cultured cells of M. polymorpha, M. paleacea var. diptera, Barbula unguiculata and Sphagnum imbricatum. Nitrate reductase from the two moss species used both NADH and NADPH as the electron donor. On the other hand, the enzymes from the two liverworts used NADPH as the specific electron donor. The enzymes from the two liverworts are distinct from the enzymes from other green plants because NADH is the common electron donor for the enzymes from other green plants.

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