Why do most bryophytes need moist habitats?

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Thick green bryophyte moss covers the trunks of three oak trees in a forest, with fallen leaves on the ground. — bryophyte Bryophyte moss growing on oak trees.

Most bryophytes require moist habitats primarily because they lack specialized vascular tissue for internal water conduction and a well-developed cuticle to prevent dehydration. Consequently, they rely on their immediate environment to maintain an adequate supply of moisture.1

Furthermore, these plants exhibit a vestige of their aquatic ancestry regarding reproduction. Their motile, flagellated sperm require the presence of external water to swim from the antheridia to the archegonia to achieve fertilization.1