The purpose of mosses is unknown to many people despite the fact that they are one of the oldest land species on Earth. However, the importance of the species has a much greater impact on the ecosystem than just aesthetic values. Mosses are classified in the phylum Bryophyta, and consist of approximately 12 000 unique species. Relationships among the major branches of this phylogeny are greatly understudied compared to many other major land-plant groups.
Mosses are able to survive and grow on many surfaces such as on trees, rocks, and dirt. (Image via mountainmoss.com)
Through the many years of evolution, phylogenetic inference has linked and displayed relationships among different species. Dr. Ying Chang, a Post-Doc researcher from the Department of Botany at the University of British Columbia, investigates these relationships through surveying 14-17 genes from taxa representing major branches, using different phylogenetic methods such as parsimony and likelihood. The following video provides a more detailed description of the experiment and explains the impact of the research.
Dr. Chang’s research found a sister-group relationship between Bryidae, Dicranidae, Timiidae, and Funariidae. She also found sister-group relationships between Tetraphidopsida and arthrodontous mosses, and Takakiopsida and Sphagnopsida. These connections help better understand how species have evolved, what enabled the evolution, and the ancestral root of the species. This research provides a better insight on relationships between several species and how their evolution diverged, such as how first land plants adjusted to terrestrial life.
Although Dr. Chang’s research provided a better understanding of this phylogeny, the general public still understands very little of the importance of moss to the ecosystem. Moss has many purposes and it is almost impossible to step out into nature without seeing moss. The following podcast shows several interviews with students at UBC and their perception of moss, as well as several industrial and ecological uses.
A better understanding of mosses will further allow for an increased amount of industrial uses as well as an improved knowledge of people’s impact on environment.
By: Andrew Hefford, Joanne Shih, Peter Zhao, Tien Vu
SCIE 300 – Section 211 (Group 3)
