Looking after Green Shield-moss (Buxbaumia viridis) and ... - Plantlife

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BACK FROM THE BRINK MANAGEMENT SERIES Alder stands may have ideal habitat for Buxbaumia viridis © Stewart Taylor Plantlife is the UK’s leading charity working to protect wild plants and their habitats. The charity has 10,500 members and owns 23 nature reserves. In 2008, Plantlife is ‘Lead Partner’ for 77 species under the UK Government’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Conservation of these species is delivered through the charity’s Back from the Brink species recovery programme, which is jointly funded by Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, charitable trusts, companies and individuals. It involves its members as volunteers (Flora Guardians) in delivering many aspects of this work. Plantlife’s head office is in Salisbury,Wiltshire, and the charity has national offices in Wales and Scotland. Plantlife Scotland Balallan House Allan Park Stirling FK8 2QG Tel. 01786 478509 www.plantlife.org.uk scotland@plantlife.org.uk
Green Shield-moss (Buxbaumia viridis) The moss Buxbaumia viridis is a rare and endangered species which grows on decaying wood, an important habitat for a whole range of mosses and liverworts, a group of small and ancient plants collectively known as bryophytes. Buxbaumia viridis is a threatened species here and in Europe as a whole, and one that has suffered a considerable loss of available habitat. It has a scattered distribution in forest habitats across the northern hemisphere from southwest Asia and China to western North America but is limited to montane areas in the southern part of its range. The habitat A fallen tree provides an ideal habitat for a range of bryophyte species once the bark has BACK FROM THE BRINK MANAGEMENT SERIES fallen away and the wood begins to rot, whereas standing dead wood, though good for other organisms, is usually too dry for bryophytes. Many of these specialist mosses and liverworts are widespread in Scotland but some are rare. We do not know what precise conditions on the log give rise to the most diverse stands of this community but it seems likely that the uneven texture of the log, its sponge-like capacity for holding moisture and, possibly, the nutrients released during decay are all important. Size does matter here as the larger logs offer not just the obvious greater surface area but also better buffering against changes in humidity and greater longevity. Most Buxbaumia viridis plants are associated with logs that have (or once had) a diameter of more than 20cm. This broadleaf, sheltered woodland at Abernethy Forest in Strathspey has numerous logs suitable for Buxbaumia viridis © Stewart Taylor 1
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Looking after Green Shield-moss (Buxbaumia viridis) and ... - Plantlife

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