Matted Bryum

It is easy to appreciate a vintage wine or a precious antique for their age and value. On Earth terms however with the planet being over 4.5 billion years old modern human species (originating with Homo Habilis the first of the Homo genus line) is young having existed only 2.2 to 1.5 million years. The first land plant species are bryophytes and have existed for 400 million years. This alone should be cause to value these incredible plants. Bryophytes are made up of three distinct groups, mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Scotland has over 920 species of bryophytes. They are ecologically important as they absorb water, maintaining humidity in the soil over dry periods and preventing flooding in wet periods. They are pioneers meaning that they often will sprout first enabling other plant species to follow them. Many animals and invertebrates live on bryophytes.

Bryum calophyllum known as Matted or Blunt Bryum is an endangered bryophyte moss that lives on coastal moist sand dune slacks. It has become extinct in all but four locations in Britain and exists only in one location in Wales and the remainder in Scotland. It currently can be found in West Ross, Islay and Bettyhill. It is threatened by habitat destruction. In several sites it has gone extinct due to golf course development and the construction of holiday homes. It is also at risk from trampling, motorcycle dune joy riders, eutrophication of water supplies due to chemical fertilizers used on nearby golf courses or farms and drainage. Other threatened bryophyte mosses are Petalophyllum ralfsii or Petalwort, a liverwort which survives in only one location on the West Coast of Scotland, Bryum neodamense or Long-leaved Thread-moss which exists in one location in Scotland and Bryum warneum or Warne’s Thread-moss which exists in only five locations in Scotland. It is important to protect this ancient species and limit coastal development, golf courses and chemical agriculture in Scotland.

Bibliography:
Holyoak, Dr. David. Looking After Rare Mosses and Liverworts in Coastal Dune Slacks. Back from the Brink Management Series, Plantlife, 2003.