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{{Taxonomy
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; float:right; margin-left: 10px;
| common_name = Moss
|+ !colspan="2" style="min-width:12em; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153,255,153)|'''Bryophyta'''
| kingdom    = Plantae
|-
| phylum      = Bryophyta  
|colspan="2" |[[File:Sphagnum cuspidatum .jpg|300px|thumb|center|''Sphagnum'' peat moss]]
}}
|-
!style="min-width:6em;background-color: rgb(180,250,180) |Kingdom:
|style="min-width:6em;text-align: left; |[[Plantae|Plantae]]
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Phylum:
|style="min-width:6em;text-align: left; |Bryophyta
|-
!style="min-width:6em; |Classes:
|style="min-width:6em;text-align: left; |[[Andreaeobryopsida|Andreaeobryopsida]]
[[Andreaeopsida|Andreaeopsida]]


==Classes==
[[Bryopsida|Bryopsida]]  
: There are three different classes of mosses within the phylum Bryophyta:
#Peat Mosses
#*Sphagnidae
#**[[File:peat_moss.jpeg|left|Peat moss growing on rocks.|thumb|150px|]]
#Granite Mosses
#*Andreaeidae
#**
#True Mosses
#*Bryidae


: Mosses are a group of small, non-vascular, plants that are classified as Bryophytes. They are typically 0.2–10 cm tall and reproduce via spores. Mosses can commonly be found forming dense mats in wet and/or shady habitats. Some species are extremely resilient and tolerate many toxins, which is why they can also be found in a variety of areas including: urban brownfields, the cracks of roadways, and on the sides of buildings. Mosses provide a food source and habitat for macro and micro invertebrates and create microhabitats that are essential to some species of soil [[arthropods]]. [10]
[[Oedipodiopsida|Oedipodiopsida]]  
   
[[Polytrichopsida|Polytrichopsida]]
[[Sphagnopsida|Sphagnopsida]]  


==Structure==
[[Takakiopsida |Takakiopsida ]]
 
[[Tetraphidopsida|Tetraphidopsida]]
 
|-
|colspan="2" |Source: Integrated Taxonomic Information System<ref name="ITIS">[https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=977384#null "Integrated Taxonomic Information System - Report"], ''ITIS'' USGS Open-File Report 2006-1195: Nomenclature", ''USGS'', n.d.. Retrieved 3/10/2023.</ref>
|}
==Physical Characteristics==
[[File:mossstructure.png|left|Basic moss structure.|thumb|150px|]]
[[File:mossstructure.png|left|Basic moss structure.|thumb|150px|]]
: Moss lacks vascular tissue, which is what other plants use to transport water and nutrients from their roots to their shoots. Since they lack this tissue, they have dissimilar anatomy to more morphologically complex plants. Instead of roots, members of Bryophyta have rhizoids, which hold their vegetative structures onto whatever substrate that they are growing on. Without vascular tissue, water is transported from cell to cell by diffusion. This is why these plants are so small. The gametophyte is the non-reproductive vegetative structure that photosynthesizes. The sporophyte is the reproductive structure that is essential to the dispersal of the moss's spores.
===Structure===
Mosses (Bryophyta) are non-vascular plants in the broader parent group Bryophyta, which includes Liverworts and Hornworts.<ref name="Raven2013" >Raven, P. H., R. F. Evert, and S. E. Eichhorn. 2013. ''Biology of plants''. Eighth edition. W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers, New York.</ref> They are the most specious of the three divisions of bryophytes, with over 12,000 species worldwide. <ref>Crandall-Stotler, B. J., and S. E. Bartholomew-Began. 2007. Morphology of Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta). ''Flora of North America'' 27.</ref> Mosses are herbaceous photosynthetic plants that absorb water and nutrients through their leaf-like structures. They are non-vascular, as they lack lignified water- and nutrient-conducting tissue called xylem and phloem. <ref>Ligrone, R., J. G. Duckett, and K. S. Renzaglia. 2000. Conducting tissues and phyletic relationships of bryophytes. ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London'' Series B: ''Biological Sciences'' '''355''':795–813.
).</ref> Additionally, mosses lack true roots, instead, they have multicellular thread-like structures called rhizoids that anchor the plant to the substrate.<ref name="Raven2013" /> Like other bryophytes, mosses are dominated by their haploid, gametophytic generation and reproduce using spores.  


==Life Cycle==
[[File:Moss_3.png|Moss Life Cycle|thumb|center|600px]]
:Moss have two parts to their life cycle. The first stage is the ''gametophyte'', and this is the stage mosses will spend the majority of their life in. When haploid spores germinate they grow and mature, eventually developing male and female reproductive structures. The male structure is the antheridia and this produces sperm, while the female strucutre is the archegonia which will produce egg cells. The haploid sperm will swim through water to the archegonia-which releases a chemical signal to attract them-where the eggs will be fertilized and develop into diploid structures, this begins the ''sporophyte'' life stage. The sporophyte reproduces and via meiosis creates haploid spores, and the life cycle starts over again. Water is essential in the reproduction of moss, unlike the seed-bearing plants, which is one of the reasons why it must grow in moist environments [4].


==Environmental Role==
===Life Cycle===
: Mosses play an vital role in stabilizing [[soil]], reducing erosion, and reducing the risks of flooding by absorbing excess water. Their rhizoids grip the ground and can hold on to [[clay]], gravel, and sandy soil substrates. Along with absorbing moisture mosses are an important carbon sink and could potentially play an important role in combating climate change; additionally mosses can filter other pollutants like excess sediment and salt used on roadways. Within the local environments mosses also have the ability to create humid microhabitats, which allows plant seeds to germinate easily and soil arthropods to be able to flourish.
 
[[File:Moss_3.png|Moss Life Cycle.|thumb|left|450px]]  


Like vascular plants, mosses exhibit alternating heteromorphic generations. The gametophyte generation is typically larger and independent, while the sporophyte generation is smaller and nutritionally dependent on the parent gametophyte. <ref name="Cove2016">Cove, D., M. Bezanilla, P. Harries, and R. Quatrano. 2006. Mosses as Model Systems for the Study of Metabolism and Development. ''Annual Review of Plant Biology'' '''57''':497–520.</ref>
The life cycle begins when haploid spores are released from the capsule of the mature sporophyte and germinate into protonemata, and then later into male and female gametophytes. The gametophytes have either male (antheridia) or female (archegonia) reproductive organs. <ref name="Reski 1998">Reski, R. 1998. Development, Genetics and Molecular Biology of Mosses. ''Botanica Acta'' 111:1–15.</ref> Haploid sperm are released from the mature antheridia and swim in the water to the archegonia which house the non-motile egg. Fertilization occurs in the archegonium to produce a diploid zygote, which divides mitotically to form a young sporophyte. As it matures, the archegonium enlarges to protect the sporophyte until maturation is reached. The mature sporophyte consists of the stalk and capsule (sporangium). Meiosis occurs within the sporangium, producing haploid spores which will be released to form the gametophytic generation. <ref name="Raven2013" />


==Environmental Role==
:Mosses play a vital role in combating erosion by stabilizing [[soil]] and reducing the risks of flooding by absorbing excess water. Their rhizoids can hold on to substrates such as [[clay]], [[gravel]], and [[sand]]. Mosses are an important carbon sink and could potentially play an important role in combating climate change. Additionally, mosses can filter other pollutants like excess sediment and salt used on roadways. Within the local environment, mosses also have the ability to create humid microhabitats. <ref name="Crooks2021">PerezJI. 2021, February 22. Bryophytes. Text, ''Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute''. https://stri.si.edu/story/bryophytes.</ref> In some boreal and arctic ecosystems, mosses are the primary plant type and are responsible for establishing soil layers, providing nutrients and habitats for new seeds to germinate, and providing areas for microinvertebrates to thrive. <ref name="Turetsky2012">Turetsky, M. R., B. Bond-Lamberty, E. Euskirchen, J. Talbot, S. Frolking, A. D. McGuire, and E.-S. Tuittila. 2012. The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems. New Phytologist 196:49–67.</ref>


==References==
==References==
:[1] Crandall-Stotler, B. J., and S. E. Bartholomew-Began. 2007. Morphology of Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta):3–13.
{{reflist}}
:[2] Crooks, V. 2021, February 22. Bryophytes. Text, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. https://stri.si.edu/story/bryophytes.
:[3] McHale, E. 2020, May 23. 7 interesting things about moss | Kew. https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/moss.
:[4] Carter, J. S. 2010, September 12. Mosses and Ferns. https://biologyclermont.info/wwwroot/courses/lab2/mosses%20intro.htm.

Latest revision as of 16:23, 4 April 2023

Bryophyta
Sphagnum peat moss
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Classes: Andreaeobryopsida

Andreaeopsida

Bryopsida

Oedipodiopsida

Polytrichopsida

Sphagnopsida

Takakiopsida

Tetraphidopsida

Source: Integrated Taxonomic Information System[1]

Physical Characteristics

Mossstructure.png

Structure

Mosses (Bryophyta) are non-vascular plants in the broader parent group Bryophyta, which includes Liverworts and Hornworts.[2] They are the most specious of the three divisions of bryophytes, with over 12,000 species worldwide. [3] Mosses are herbaceous photosynthetic plants that absorb water and nutrients through their leaf-like structures. They are non-vascular, as they lack lignified water- and nutrient-conducting tissue called xylem and phloem. [4] Additionally, mosses lack true roots, instead, they have multicellular thread-like structures called rhizoids that anchor the plant to the substrate.[2] Like other bryophytes, mosses are dominated by their haploid, gametophytic generation and reproduce using spores.


Life Cycle

Moss Life Cycle.

Like vascular plants, mosses exhibit alternating heteromorphic generations. The gametophyte generation is typically larger and independent, while the sporophyte generation is smaller and nutritionally dependent on the parent gametophyte. [5] The life cycle begins when haploid spores are released from the capsule of the mature sporophyte and germinate into protonemata, and then later into male and female gametophytes. The gametophytes have either male (antheridia) or female (archegonia) reproductive organs. [6] Haploid sperm are released from the mature antheridia and swim in the water to the archegonia which house the non-motile egg. Fertilization occurs in the archegonium to produce a diploid zygote, which divides mitotically to form a young sporophyte. As it matures, the archegonium enlarges to protect the sporophyte until maturation is reached. The mature sporophyte consists of the stalk and capsule (sporangium). Meiosis occurs within the sporangium, producing haploid spores which will be released to form the gametophytic generation. [2]

Environmental Role

Mosses play a vital role in combating erosion by stabilizing soil and reducing the risks of flooding by absorbing excess water. Their rhizoids can hold on to substrates such as clay, gravel, and sand. Mosses are an important carbon sink and could potentially play an important role in combating climate change. Additionally, mosses can filter other pollutants like excess sediment and salt used on roadways. Within the local environment, mosses also have the ability to create humid microhabitats. [7] In some boreal and arctic ecosystems, mosses are the primary plant type and are responsible for establishing soil layers, providing nutrients and habitats for new seeds to germinate, and providing areas for microinvertebrates to thrive. [8]

References

  1. ↑ "Integrated Taxonomic Information System - Report", ITIS USGS Open-File Report 2006-1195: Nomenclature", USGS, n.d.. Retrieved 3/10/2023.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Raven, P. H., R. F. Evert, and S. E. Eichhorn. 2013. Biology of plants. Eighth edition. W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers, New York.
  3. ↑ Crandall-Stotler, B. J., and S. E. Bartholomew-Began. 2007. Morphology of Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta). Flora of North America 27.
  4. ↑ Ligrone, R., J. G. Duckett, and K. S. Renzaglia. 2000. Conducting tissues and phyletic relationships of bryophytes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences 355:795–813. ).
  5. ↑ Cove, D., M. Bezanilla, P. Harries, and R. Quatrano. 2006. Mosses as Model Systems for the Study of Metabolism and Development. Annual Review of Plant Biology 57:497–520.
  6. ↑ Reski, R. 1998. Development, Genetics and Molecular Biology of Mosses. Botanica Acta 111:1–15.
  7. ↑ PerezJI. 2021, February 22. Bryophytes. Text, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. https://stri.si.edu/story/bryophytes.
  8. ↑ Turetsky, M. R., B. Bond-Lamberty, E. Euskirchen, J. Talbot, S. Frolking, A. D. McGuire, and E.-S. Tuittila. 2012. The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems. New Phytologist 196:49–67.
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