Essay On Mosses

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The ‘Bryophyte’ term is derived from the Greek word ‘bryon’ meaning a moss. Among bryophytes mosses are a highly evolved inhabiting a unique position between vascular and non-vascular plants. Mosses are dominant among all bryophytes class because of their number in species and morphological and structure complexities. Mosses are simplest and most primitive of the land plant. They are considered that largest number of species among green plants, next to angiosperms. They do not have a well developed vascular conductive tissue system. They were supposed to be of little economic value. However, they are the pioneers to have colonized terrestrial habitats from the aquatic environment. Their adaptation are both terrestrial mode and aquatic mode(…show more content…
They are more common in humid areas and during rainy season. During rainy season, mosses become abundant within a short period so that they inhabit large areas but usually do not form a very exposed part of the vegetation. They are found both in high ranging altitude up to 8500 feet above sea level and in the plains, some of species was also recorded from an altitude of 19,000 feet. The abundance occurrences of mosses is an indicator of unpolluted environment and of forest condition. They are consider as second colonizers next to lichens on barren rocks in plant succession in xerosere hence it acts as pioneers in the formation of soil. They form large mats on forests floors, sidewalls of building and also bark of some trees, so act as good binder thus controlling soil erosion. They are a good source of humus and hence a shelter for a number of soil-dwelling invertebrates likes earthworms. They act as good seed beds for seedlings and saplings mainly in evergreen forests. They retaining a very high range of adaptability in adversative climate conditions hrnce they occur everywhere from the Arctic to the Antarctic

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