Andrew_Kiley
Mosses in the forest
This photo was taken in the Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve here on UNCW's campus on January 22nd. In the picture we see the remains of a fallen tree, with patches of bright green moss growing on the top of the tree stump. While difficult to exactly determine, I believe the species is (Anomodon rostratus) a member of the bryophytes, which all provide many benefits to this forests' ecology. There are multiple different ecological concepts at play here, but the one I want to talk about is distribution. While the species of moss itself is ubiquitous, the area in which it can grow, both within the preserve and around this tree truck, is specific to factors including pH, humidity, temperature, soil make-up, competition and more. Distribution helps to explain why this species of moss has found specific parts of this trunk suitable for growth, while specifically leaving out other areas. It's important to note while the moss may look like a single plant, it's actually made up of many unitary gametophytes, all growing and reproducing individually. In terms of ecology, the growth of this moss helps to break down and recycle the carbon and nutrients still stored in the tree, regulate the relative humidity of the area, and provide indicators towards the soil and forests health.
Here a link to the source I used to help ID the moss (bryophyteportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&...)
Mosses in the forest
This photo was taken in the Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve here on UNCW's campus on January 22nd. In the picture we see the remains of a fallen tree, with patches of bright green moss growing on the top of the tree stump. While difficult to exactly determine, I believe the species is (Anomodon rostratus) a member of the bryophytes, which all provide many benefits to this forests' ecology. There are multiple different ecological concepts at play here, but the one I want to talk about is distribution. While the species of moss itself is ubiquitous, the area in which it can grow, both within the preserve and around this tree truck, is specific to factors including pH, humidity, temperature, soil make-up, competition and more. Distribution helps to explain why this species of moss has found specific parts of this trunk suitable for growth, while specifically leaving out other areas. It's important to note while the moss may look like a single plant, it's actually made up of many unitary gametophytes, all growing and reproducing individually. In terms of ecology, the growth of this moss helps to break down and recycle the carbon and nutrients still stored in the tree, regulate the relative humidity of the area, and provide indicators towards the soil and forests health.
Here a link to the source I used to help ID the moss (bryophyteportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&...)