Bryology is the study of bryophytes, a group of small plants including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. The group found 34 species in total, including 32 mosses and two liverworts. Species of note included: 

Pea Bryum Bryum ruderale – found on the track leading up to the natural burial ground, the Bryum species can often look quite similar, and you need to look at the plant below the ground, not just above! This species has purple rhizoids (like roots in most plants) and large tubers which separate it from similar Bryums. 

Mountain Fork-moss Dicranum montanum – despite its name, this species is a lowland moss found growing on the trunks and branches of trees in woodland, especially trees such as oak which have relatively acidic bark. Interestingly, Mountain Fork-moss spread rapidly in the mid-20th century, likely due to an increase in acid rain creating more suitable habitat for this moss (image below) 
 

Straw Bristle-moss Orthotrichum stramineum – this species is undergoing the opposite trend to Mountain Fork-moss. It is a species which prefers growing on bark which is not acidic and has been increasing in recent years, likely a result of decreasing sulphur dioxide pollution (image below)

Thanks to Di Napier for the images and Sam Macvie for the technical information. 

It is always a pleasure to be able to host this kind of activity at Alne Wood Park, as it is important to monitor the flora and fauna of the unique environment we have around the site.

If you are interested in getting involved in wildlife surveys more broadly around the forest, please visit our volunteering webpage