Moss Field Day
Posted on 7 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Fifteen people took part in a fascinating moss field day at Clinkers Hill Bushland Reserve on 27 August. This was part of the Moss and Liverwort project that is working towards producing a brochure about local mosses and liverworts. The group spent two hours identifying, photographing and recording ten varieties of moss.
Beth Mellick from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation supplied magnifying glasses and recording materials for everyone.
The afternoon was led by postgraduate student Cassia Read who is currently doing a PhD at Melbourne Uni on biological soil crusts of the Mallee and Wimmera.
Cass comments that “crusts are intriguing communities of moss, lichen and fungi that live at the soil surface in arid environments. These crusts have an important role in ecosystem function. I’m particularly interested in how they influence seed germination and survival and how they recover following livestock exclusion, as stock with hard hooves remove moss and lichens and expose the top soil to erosion.”
One of the mosses, Breutelia affinist, examined by the group . Photo by Bronwyn Silver
This project is supported by the Norman Wetttenhall Foundation, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests and Connecting Country.
If you would like more information contact Beth Mellick on 5472 1316.
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