Glittering wood moss
Hylocomium splendens
Fire effect on plant
Small patches may survive low severity burns, but in general this species is killed by fire.
Key traits
May recolonise from unburned fragments that survive in soil.
Plant response to fire
Glittering wood moss is not well adapted to fire and itself is often the carrier of the fire in the ecosystems in which it exists owing to its ability to lose moisture rapidly according to humidity changes which make its often highly flammable. It takes many years to recover following fire (Tesky, 1992).
Timing of history
N/A
Conservation status
None.
References
Tesky, Julie L. 1992. Hylocomium splendens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/bryophyte/hylspl/all.html [2024, Feb 22] [Empirical evidence; grey literature]