Woodlands are often quite diverse, however they may be predictable in that most woods share many species. Becoming familiar with the common woodland species will allow bryologists to distinguish between different types of woodland, woodland quality and allow for the identification of rarer species.
These are the commonest bryophytes in most lowland woodlands in my experience. Woodland to the north and west of the UK will have some different common species but here I will limit the list to those in English woods as I am more experienced in these habitats. Note: I will make a separate post about rotting wood and woodland streams.
Epiphytes (mosses and liverworts on trees).
Pleurocarpous mosses:
(these ones are often on trunks and branches)
Acrocarpous mosses:
Liverworts:
Species on Soil.
Big, showy mosses that may be near paths or rides (more of them will be present in larger, older woods):
Polytrichum commune (boggy or upland woods)
(above three are all in the same family and may look similar).
(below are big pleurocarps. Some grassland species might also be present along paths. The rarer species are at the bottom of the list)
Smaller mosses, usually on banks:
This list is by no means exhaustive and you will find species not listed here. This list merely puts together some of the commonest bryophytes one might come across in a wood and it may be useful for a beginner to compare their finds to photographs of these when looking for a tentative ID.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or if I have left anything obvious off the list.
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Thank you for that, @georgeg. Most useful to beginners like me.
I'm going to try and make these into pictoral lists by using a project. I just need to learn how to do that.
Glad you find it useful!
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