Many mosses, liverworts and lichens are rare and threatened so protecting their habitat is very important. Threats are invasive species, for example, Rhododendron ponticum, and changes to the hydrology of their habitat.
Location: Loch Arkaig Pine Forest 2022 · Credit Jillian Donnachie/WTML
Oceanic ravines provide niches for a diversity of rare bryophyte and lichen species. These ravines are steep rivers or burn valleys often with deep pools and waterfalls. Western Scotland has the ideal climate, geology and geography and contains some of the rarest bryophytes in Western Europe. Some of these ravines support more than 200 species of moss and liverwort and over 300 lichen species. The ravines which are often to be found within oceanic broadleaf woodland and Atlantic woodlands are of international importance.
Bryophytes are also excellent indicators of the health of a habitat and are an integral part of the rainforest woodland ecosystem. And the abundance of rare species in the west coast rainforests makes protecting them vital for the overall health of the habitat.
For more detailed information see Plantlife.org.uk:
Looking after bryophytes and lichens in Scotland’s oceanic ravines
