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

BACK FROM THE BRINK MANAGEMENT SERIES
Map created using DMAP
In the United Kingdom, Buxbaumia viridis is
rated as Endangered in the bryophyte Red
Data Book (by Church et al., 2001), has a
Biodiversity Action Plan and is listed on
Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside
Act. The Endangered threat category means
that the plant is deemed to be at a very high
risk of extinction in the wild because of its
small range and patchy distribution and the
small number of plants in total. It is also listed
in Annex II of the EC Habitats and Species
Directive and on Appendix 1 of the Council of
Europe Bern Convention. Its listing on
Schedule 8 means that is illegal to collect the
plant without a licence.
Perhaps the best indicator species of the right
kind of conditions for Buxbaumia viridis are the
two liverworts Nowellia curvifolia and Riccardia
palmata. These two species are common on
rotten logs in humid sites, Nowellia curvifolia
forming distinctive copper-coloured patches of
thin stems and Riccardia palmata forming dense
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9
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Key to symbols
1950 onward
Pre 1950í
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Anastrophyllum hellerianum is a tiny, nationally
scarce liverwort that grows on dead wood
© Gordon Rothero
green patches of flat fronds. All of the other,
more frequent, associates of Buxbaumia viridis
in the table below are very common species in
a variety of habitats and not just on rotting
wood. Two nationally scarce species also occur
on similar logs: Anastrophyllum hellerianum
which is a tiny liverwort with yellow stems
tipped with dark red, and Calypogeia suecica
which forms flat whitish, green patches but
needs a microscope for confirmation.
The liverworts Nowella curvifolia (shown below)
and Riccardia palmata are perhaps the best
indicator species of the right kind of conditions
for Buxbaumia viridis. © Gordon Rothero