Mosses belong to the Division or Phylum Bryophyta and consist of over 700 species in coastal British Columbia (Schofield 1992). These small plants do not have the same tissues that flowering and coniferous plants have to conduct water and support vertical growth. Therefore, they are typically small (<10 cm tall) and grow close to the ground (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994).
Description:
The small green moss plants we see in the forest consist of a central stalk and whorls of green leaf-like scales. Moss leaves lack a waxy coating or cuticle, so they are susceptible to drying out. Some forms consist of single upright stems, others are branching and creep along the ground or substrate. At one stage, a vertical stalk develops from the tips or sides of branches of the leafy stalks and grows an enlarged spore producing capsule at its tip.
Ecology:
Mosses can be found throughout British Columbia, particularly in areas with high humidity such as in the understory of coastal temperate forests and canyons (Schofield 1992). They colonize a wide variety of substrata — from decomposing forest litter, rotting logs, exposed rock faces, decaying animal wastes, acid ponds, as well as tree trunks and branches (Schofield 1992). Mosses are sensitive to disturbances and are therefore found in greater abundance and diversity in stable sites such as old growth forests (Baldwin & Bradfield 2005).
The tight packing of some mosses creates moist environments used by many invertebrates as a refuge and source of water. Some birds use dry moss as nesting material. Humans also use mosses, particularly Sphagnum species which grow in acidic bogs. Decomposing Sphagnum is known as peat, which can be used as fuel or to enhance water retention in gardens (Schofield 1992).
The tight packing of some mosses creates moist environments used by many invertebrates as a refuge and source of water. Some birds use dry moss as nesting material. Humans also use mosses, particularly Sphagnum species which grow in acidic bogs. Decomposing Sphagnum is known as peat, which can be used as fuel or to enhance water retention in gardens (Schofield 1992).
Reproduction and Dispersal:
The leafy green plants develop either male or female reproductive structures. Water is essential for sperm to swim to the female plants and fertilize the eggs. Following fertilization, the upright stalk develops and spores are formed in the capsule found at the tip. The spores are typically dispersed by floating in moving air, or they may be flung farther distances by teeth-like structures along the rim of the capsule. These spores then grow into new leafy green plants and the cycle repeats (Schofield 1992). Another form of dispersal is when fragments of the leafy green plant break off and are carried by water or animals to another potential habitat (Baldwin & Bradfield 2005).
References cited:
Baldwin LK, Bradfield GE. 2005. Bryophyte community differences between edge and interior environments in temperate rain-forest fragments of coastal British Columbia’. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 35:580–592.
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska.
Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
Schofield WB. 1992. Some common mosses of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum. Victoria BC.
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska.
Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
Schofield WB. 1992. Some common mosses of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum. Victoria BC.