BRYOPLANET, a bryophyte population and landscape analysis network, was funded by the Nordic Research Board (Nordforsk) from 2001-2005 to arrange scientific meetings, workshops and courses for researchers and students on bryophyte ecology in the Nordic and Baltic countries. It provided a tool for connecting bryologists in the region and elsewhere. The network succeeded in connecting experienced reserachers’ broad knowledge with young enthusiastic post-graduate students with fresh ideas. In the final meeting of the network in Kéked, Hungary on 19-22 August 2005 and during the post-meeting excursion on 22-25 August, 2005, the present state of research was discussed with strong emphasis on identifying the highlights and also the weaknesses in the many fields of bryophyte ecology today. The meeting consisted of seven invited retrospective lectures, offered by specialists in different fields of bryophyte ecology, and reserachers and students had an opportunity to present ongoing projects to the audience. In addition to the lectures, the meeting consisted of 15 presentations ranging from phylogeographic patterns to morphological adaptations, population dynamics and genetics. Retrospective lectures have been published, along with some of the original papers presented at the Kéked meeting. This introduction presents and evaluates the history, aims and outcomes of the BRYOPLANET network in addition to reporting on the final meeting in Kéked.