Campylopus introflexus
Cactus Moos ( Campylopus introflexus )
The Cactus Moos ( Campylopus introflexus ), also known as Long-haired or hair wearing Krummstiel moss is a moss belonging to the family Leucobryaceae.
The moss is originally from the subtropical to cold - temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere. It has been introduced into North America and Europe. The so-called invasive neophyte proves on the colonization in particular the coastal dunes and other sandy habitats particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as problematic as the moss changed the species composition and the appearance of there characterizing communities. Through the formation of dense and large-scale mats are the cactus moss attributed to significant changes in the ecosystem.
Taxonomy
The first description of the moss species was carried out by Johannes Hedwig introflexum as Dicranum. Other synonyms are mentioned in the literature: C. polytrichoides auct. P.P. and C. lepidophyllus ( C.Muell. ) Par fide sim. In the first years of the discovery of the cactus moss in Germany and North America C. introflexus was used because of confusion on the pilifer than C. designated type. This means that older work on C. introflexus relate pilifer on C.. Later it turned out that it is the südhemisphärisch spread Dicranum introflexum or the day designated as C. introflexus moss.
Characteristics and biology
The gipfelkapselige ( akrokarpe ) Cactus moss grows in dense, light to olive green, often greyish and up to 5 centimeters high boots and extensive moss carpets. The stems are between 0.5 and 5 inches high. The lance-shaped leaves and ganzrandigen measure 4-6 mm in length. They are transparent to the leaf base. The sheet rib is wide and occupies about half the sheet width. On the back of the midrib are two-cell lamellae. On the underside of the midrib are chlorophyllose, water-white Hyalocyten. Especially in the upper Stämmchenbereich this run at the top of a remarkably bent at right angles in glass hair. When wet the leaves are off the stems. In the dry state they are against lying and form by the whitish - transparent glass protruding hair viewed from above white stars. In wet periods grown plantlets form only at the lower laminate glass hair. The capsules are brown and 1.5 millimeters long. Your 7 to 12 mm long, yellowish to brown stem grows straight. Are formed on a plant usually several sporophytes.
Habitats
In the southern hemisphere Campylopus introflexus grows on a variety of substrates from sea level to heights of 200 meters. In North America and Europe, there is a Pionierbesiedler open, semi-natural and anthropogenic sites with dry and acidic soils. The moss inhabited predominantly stone and sandy soils and penetrates into silver grasslands of coastal and inland dunes in dwarf shrub heaths and lichen - pine forests. It also colonized open sandy areas in post-mining landscapes. In the UK, however, it grows on peaty soils moist heaths and peat cutting and burning of disturbed Moore. It grows on lime-free, long-term dry, poor mineral and humus soils in mostly sunny location. Less commonly inhabited rotten wood.
Dissemination and propagation paths
The original area of distribution of the cactus Moss is the southern hemisphere. There it is in South America, Africa, Australia and the Pacific islands into cold - temperate climates. It has been introduced into North America and Europe. In North America, inhabited mainly the west coast of the U.S. and Canada. In Europe, was first identified in 1941 in England. From there it has spread over much of Europe. Today, it is from Iceland to Spain, from Ireland to Poland yet. In France, it was found in 1959 at Cape Finisterre. Since 1961 it has settled in the Netherlands, since 1966 in Belgium, since 1968 in Denmark, since 1973 in the Faroe Islands, since 1976 in southern Sweden since 1978 in Western Norway and Iceland since 1983. In Poland, the moss was first identified in 1986 and in the Carpathians in 1994. In 2000, enter the first evidence for Russia and Latvia.
In Germany, the cactus Moss was first identified in Münster ( Westphalia ) in 1967. It should be migrated via the Netherlands. Since 1970, it occurs on the East Frisian Islands. The moss is distributed in the West with an emphasis in Germany in all provinces with persistent tendency to spread and in many places has developed well-established populations. The years of the first discoveries on the East Frisian Islands are specified as follows: 1970 Langeoog, 1975 Baltrum, 1976 Spiekeroog, 1977 and 1980 Norderney Borkum, Juist Wangeroog. In 1985, the Moss was first found on the Attersee in Upper Austria.
The propagation is carried out through asexual reproduction by broken Stämmchenspitzen. These new plants can form. Also all the moss can be transported by wind, animals ( rabbits, birds ) and humans and colonize new self- isolated and remote sites. The regeneration joyful shoot tips are formed in the majority in young stands, so that they grow very fast. You can cover hundreds of square meters within ten years. If Sporogone formed so produce these numerous microns 10-14 large spores that can be spread over long distances. In Germany the formation of Sporogonen is only rarely observed. The settlement of the Faroe Islands off the colonization of Norway is seen as a sign of the high generative force propagation of the moss.
Status and invasiveness
In Austria, is expected to further spread the moss. While the cactus moss in most European countries found scattered and is regarded as unproblematic, the moss has been spreading in the Netherlands and Belgium in the past 20 years now and is regarded as a threat cause of other mosses and lichens. It is referred to herein as " tankmos ", as it should have been spread in the second world war with tanks. In Germany, the moss is classified as problematic and is considered invasive neophyte. Especially on the East Frisian Islands, it penetrates like invasion into the moss and lichen-rich stages of xeric grasslands of the gray dunes. Add the brown dunes located in gaps of crowberry and broom Gentiles. In part, the moss blankets here grow up to 10 inches tall and form even in dry mud cracks '. Heavily populated silver grasslands are classified in part as a separate phytosociological society that Campylopus introflexus Society.
Ecological impacts
The enormous expansion force on generative and especially vegetative way makes the spread of the cactus moss questionable. The dominance of stocks cactus moss either go out the colonization of open areas or from the displacement of other, previously mostly consisted forming species such as Dicranum scoparium, Politrichum juniperum or P. piliferum forth. In silver grasslands the number of individuals of the most characteristic species go back and appearance of the habitat changed. Finally, self-contained mats of moss, which lay as it were, like a " shroud " on the gray dunes form. In addition to the vascular plants, especially the characteristic of silver grassland mosses and lichens are displaced ( Cladonia species). The moss carpets can in dry cracks and be churned up by animals, which in turn vacancies arise. These are usually closed quickly from the Cactus moss. It is unknown whether other plants can establish themselves or the original vegetation in these gaps. The displacement of the typical dune vegetation, which are among the most worth protecting habitats of wild fauna and flora Habitats Directive because of their rarity and sensitivity is of great importance to a decrease in biodiversity and risk of several rare species usually at. In Küstenheiden Denmark dense stands of moss reduce the regeneration of heather ( Calluna vulgaris), which is associated with the reduction of seed germination due to lack of light and dryness in the dense moss carpets.
It is believed that the alteration of habitats a cause for the decline of the Barrens Pipit (Anthus campestris ) could be. This is associated with a reduction of arthropods ( arthropods ) as a food source and the loss of suitable breeding grounds in the cactus dominated by moss dunes in conjunction. Other effects of the spread of Campylopus introflexus on wildlife are not yet known.
Finally, several inches thick moss stocks take in different ways to the site conditions and thus on ecosystems in terms of water budget and succession sometimes considerable influence. The dark moss heat up more quickly than the adjacent white sandy areas, which has a stronger dehydration the sand habitats result. On the other hand, save the moss cushions and carpets even more water. Whether by the water balance of ecosystems is more balanced, is still unclear. The colonization of sand habitats with the cactus Moss accelerates the natural succession of vegetation insofar as the sands are determined by the moss and plants such as heather and the wire Schmiele ( Deschampsia flexuosa ) are able to settle here. It is not yet known how an accelerated succession will affect the ecosystem dynamics.