The Moss of Książ Landscape Park

 

The objective of my research was the moss in the Pełcznica river gorge.

 

Moss ( Musci, Bryopsida ) is widely spread and very old group of plants. They existed even in Palaeozoic era. In Poland there are 670 species which can be divided into:

- peatmoss ( Sphagnidae ),

- Naleźliny ( Andreaidae ),

- Mchy właściwe, czyli prątniki ( Bryidae )

- Bezlistny ( Buxbaumiidae ),

- harcap moss ( Polytrichidae ).

 

They are tiny, green land plants. Some of them have adapted to living in water environment. Here I would like to present different species of moss which appear in the area of the Pełcznica river gorge near Książ castle.

In the protected area there are 73 units of moss classification which we can divide into the following groups:

  1. ground species-a part of forest groupings
  2. mountain species of the Pełcznica river gorge
  3. calciphilous moss with regard to the altitude group (lowland, upland, subalpine)

 

The species I have observed in this area are described by the varieties wchich we can notice most often while walking along the routes. The number and diversity of the species here is influenced by the forest groups in the area.

 

Alder forest (Alnetum incanae) The Sudety Mountains type-appears in the lowest part of the gorge along the Pełcznica river on both banks at 100-150 meters above sea level. It grows on alluvial, rocky soil flooded sometimes (every several years).

The moss layer consists of:

 

                                         

 

Dicranella heteromalla,                       Pohlia nutans,                                  Mnium hornum

 

 

Dry ground forest grows in higher parts of the gorge at 150-300 m above sea level on clay, sandy and rocky soil.

The moss layer consists mainly of:

 

                                          

 

Atrichum undulatum,                         Plagiomnium affine                      Hypnum cupressiforme.

 

 

 

Beechwood grows on poor, acid soil. The soil is shallow and very rocky, temporarily dry. The wood grows on the sides in the highest parts of the gorge at 200-400 m above sea level.

The rich moss  layer consists mainly of: Pohlia nutans, Dicranella heteromalla,(see pictures above)

 

 

and:

 

                            

 

                                   Dicranum scoparium

 

 

 

                   Author: Bartek Czajka

 

                                                                       Teachers: Marga Czyz,

       Marzena Jerczynska