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People
are generally not aware of the complex community of mosses on
and around their property. Mosses are often viewed as pests
that need to be removed. By providing the public with more
information of existing moss species, we can increase awareness
and knowledge with which to better make decisions about controlling
or not controlling mosses that are found around our homes.
What are the more common species
of mosses that grow in lawns and gardens?
For results of this study, click here.
Predominant moss species were determined for lawns and gardens
in Corvallis, Oregon. Five lawns and five gardens with
abundant moss populations were surveyed. Moss communities
were surveyed in six-foot squared plots. Plots were placed
in representative areas of the lawn. The two species of
moss in highest abundance were collected and evalueated for percent
cover. Moss species were determined using references from
Lawton, 1971; Schofield,
1992; and McCune, 2000.
Specimens were submitted to the Oregon
State University Herbarium.
Others have studied mosses on trees.
Most research on the ecology of mosses growing on trees in the
Pacific Northwest have focused on the mountains. Merrifield
(2000), however, described mosses on oaks in urban and agricultural
settings in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Pike
(1973) documented the lichens and mosses in a Willamette
Valley oak forest.
The mosses found by Merrifield are
actually quite similar to those found on many kinds of trees,
as well as cedar shake rooftops in our area:
- Antitrichia californica
- Dendroalsia abietina
- Dicranoweisia cirrhata
- Didymodon sp.
- Homalothecium fulgescens
- Homalothecium nutallii
- Metaneckera menziesii
- Neckera douglasii
- Porella navicularis (a leafy liverwort)
- Porella roellii (ditto)
- Pterogonium graile
- Scleropodium cespitans
- Tortula laevipila var. laevipila
- Tortula laevipila var. meridionalis
- Tortula latifolia
- Tortula ruralis
- Zygodon viridissimus
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