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Birds of Indian Subcontinent

The Ecological Role of Bryophytes in a North Wales Woodland

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1979
Authors:Rieley, JO, RICHARDS, PW, Bebbington, ADL
Journal:Journal of Ecology
Volume:67
Issue:2
Date Published:1979
ISBN Number:00220477
Keywords:Corvidae, Corvus, Corvus corone
Abstract:(1) The mineral relations of bryophytes in a moist sessile oakwood (Quercetum petraeae) in north-west Wales were investigated, to examine possible long-term effects on the ecosystem of prolonged commercial moss-gathering. (2) The principal species of the ground vegetation in terms of standing crop, productivity and nutrient content were the mosses Dicranum majus, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Plagiothecium undulatum, Polytrichum formosum and Thuidium tamariscinum. In 1968 the only herb of significance was Deschampsia flexuosa. Bryophytes formed c. 90% of the standing crop of the ground vegetation in the study area, and contained a correspondingly high proportion of the mineral-element resources. Epiphytic bryophytes formed c. 4% of the total bryophyte standing crop. (3) No consistent seasonal growth patterns were found, but there were indications that Dicranum majus and Rhytidiadelphus loreus grew more rapidly in late summer than at other times. Plagiothecium undulatum had a higher concentration, and Polytrichum formosum a lower concentration of the four elements Ca, Mg, K and Na than the other species. (4) Changes in concentration of these elements in rainfall, throughfall and leachate from the bryophyte mat were monitored for periods of up to 5 months. It was evident that the moss layer altered the chemical composition of the precipitation percolating through it. Potassium was removed from the tree crowns by the rainfall, and was then taken up by the moss layer. Calcium and nitrogen were also removed by the bryophytes. There was a net loss of magnesium from the moss layer. (5) The role of bryophytes in the nutrient economy of a woodland ecosystem in a region of high rainfall is discussed.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/2259109
Short Title:Journal of Ecology
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith