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3. Conifer Trunks
Conifer trunks have a distinctly different assemblage of species than either the forest floor or on hardwood trees. Only Isothecium stoloniferum is ubiquitous in all forest types, often on hardwoods but never as abundant as on conifer trunks. Both Dicranum fuscescens and Scapania bolanderi are characteristic of old growth forests, found on almost every large tree. The partitioning within the genus Dicranum is interesting. Dicranum fuscescens is almost completely restricted to conifer trunks while Dicranum howellii, widely present on the forest floor, may creep up on to the lower portions of conifer trunks. Ptilidium californicum is like the terrestrial Rhytidiopsis robusta in being scarce below 3000' in western Oregon. All the mosses and liverworts of this assemblage may survive for a considerable period of time on bark when a tree falls; they must be considered part of the rotting log community, also.
Dicranum fuscescens - One of the four most consistently seen bryophytes on Douglas fir trunks. Sometimes grows mixed with D. howellii near the base of tree trunks.
Hypnum circinale - One of the four most consistently seen bryophytes on Douglas fir trunks.
Isothecium stoloniferum - One of the four most consistently seen bryophytes on conifer trunks but equally at home on hardwoods.
Scapania bolanderi - One of the four most consistently seen bryophytes on Douglas fir trunks. Its restriction to organic substrates is a good field character in Oregon.
Dicranum tauricum - Most abundant in relatively dry forests. In southwestern Oregon it is the only bryophyte on incense cedar trunks where it is usually confined to the base of the trunk.
Ptilidium californicum - Forming anklets around almost every tree base in the subalpine zone but rare below that. One of the few truly common liverworts of the forest.
Dicranowiesia cirrata - One of the few species that is found as commonly on hardwoods as conifers.It is of such regular occurrence on fenceposts that some have called it the fencepost moss.
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Copyright 2012 Northwest Botanical Institute