Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians (Princeton Field Guides, Band 86) - Softcover

Mcknight, Karl B.; Rohrer, Joseph R.; Ward, Kirsten Mcknight; Perdrizet, Warren J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0691156964 ISBN 13: 9780691156965

Verlag: Princeton University Press, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

A comprehensive guide to the mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians

This is the first book to help general readers recognize 200 common mosses of the Northeast and the Appalachian Mountains. With just this field guide, a hand lens, and a spray bottle—no microscopes necessary—readers will be able to identify and name many of the common species of mosses growing in the region's backyards, parks, forests, wetlands, and mountains. At the heart of this guide is an innovative, color-tabbed system that helps readers pick out small groups of similar species. Illustrated identification keys, colorful habitat and leaf photos, more than 600 detailed line drawings, and written descriptions help differentiate the species. This accessible book allows all nature enthusiasts to make accurate identifications and gain access to the enchanting world of mosses.

• 200 species included


• More than 600 detailed line drawings


• More than 400 color photographs


• Innovative color-tabbed system for species identification


• Illustrated species identification keys


• Helpful tips for moss collecting

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Karl B McKnight is associate professor of biology at St. Lawrence University. Joseph R. Rohrer is professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Kirsten McKnight Ward is a third-generation botanist/field guide author and professional artist. Warren J. Perdrizet is a recent graduate of St. Lawrence University with a BS in biology.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

"Full of clear diagrams, excellent photos, and evocative descriptions, this splendid guide shows readers what mosses are and how to study them. Vegetative and reproductive characteristics are presented so that different species can be readily compared, feature by feature. This remarkable, delightful book makes a great contribution to the understanding and appreciation of moss diversity, and to the conservation of mosses."--Susan Moyle Studlar, West Virginia University

"This attractive and inviting guide will serve an important function in promoting the study of common mosses by nonspecialists. The interesting combination of drawings, field pictures, and dissecting microscope shots is effective, and the authors offer accurate, relevant, and scientifically solid information. A great addition to the botanical and natural history literature."--Jon Shaw, Duke University

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians

By Karl B McKnight Joseph R. Rohrer Kirsten McKnight Ward Warren J. Perdrizet

Princeton University Press

Copyright © 2013 Princeton University Press
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-691-15696-5

Contents

How to Use this Book...................................9Key Features...........................................10Key Features Path to the Keys..........................16How to Look at a Moss..................................18Collecting Mosses......................................20What Are Mosses?.......................................22Basic Structure of Mosses..............................25Life History of Mosses.................................26What Good Are Mosses?..................................28Acrocarps..............................................33Pleurocarps............................................173Leafless...............................................317Peat Mosses............................................321How to Use the Identification Keys.....................340Keys...................................................341Habitat Lists..........................................380Moss Publications and Resources........................384Moss Names.............................................385Index..................................................386

Chapter One

How to Look at a Moss

First, note its surroundings. Are you in an urban park, along a stream in a forest, in a bog? Is the moss growing on disturbed soil, the bark of a tree, a rock, a rotting log? Moss identification is often aided by knowing where the plant was growing.

Mosses grow everywhere, but that doesn't mean every sprig is an ideal specimen to study. Look for healthy, homogeneous samples and avoid bedraggled, tiny samples that lack capsules and are growing intertwined with several species.

Many mosses look very different when wet versus dry. If possible, observe it in both conditions. Dry mosses can be moistened using a spray bottle, such as those used when ironing clothes or misting houseplants. Moisten the moss clump while intentionally keeping part of the clump dry by covering it with your hand as you mist. Then you can observe wet and dry plants side by side. If the moss is already wet, pull a few shoots from the clump; they will quickly dry in the air.

Pick a small sample and begin to tease apart individual shoots. Most mosses fall into one of two groups of different growth forms. Acrocarps generally stand upright, with many stems next to each other vertically and packed together into a clump or tuft. If the stem branches, it typically divides in two with the forks running side by side. In contrast, pleurocarps generally creep with their stems running along the substrate to which they are attached (soil, bark, rock, etc.), interweaving with other stems to form mats. Their branches split off at a right angle to the main stem. Growth form is the First Key Feature that will guide your identification. Study the text and illustrations on pp. 10-11 carefully before deciding on the growth form of your sample and moving on to examine the leaves.

That's right — moss leaves are really small! You will need a hand lens of 7-20X to get a good look at them. Lower power lenses give a broader field of view, useful for initial examination, whereas higher power lenses provide the extra magnification needed to see fine detail.

To use your lens, look straight ahead and bring the lens close to your eye or glasses; then bring the moss sample up to the lens with your other hand. Play with the focus by moving the sample toward and away from the lens. Good light is essential. Tilt your head back to allow the light of the sky to shine through the leaf in order to search for a midrib and to silhouette teeth along the leaf margin.

Millimeter rulers are printed inside the front cover of the book and on the left sides of the identification key pages for convenience measuring leaves, but you might also want to carry a white plastic ruler with you.

The Second Key Feature to unlock the identity of your unknown moss is leaf shape. Most moss leaves fall along a continuum from hairlike through lance to ovate. The text and illustrations on pp. 12-13 and experience using our guide will help you become better attuned to where we drew the line between the various leaf shapes.

The Third Key Feature is the presence or absence of a midrib, a vein-like structure running lengthwise down the middle of some leaves. Most, but not all, acrocarps have leaves with midribs; leaves with and without midribs are common among pleurocarps. The text and illustrations on pp. 14-15 give tips in looking for midribs — not an easy task on leaves so small.

While you still have the leaf in front of your hand lens, check a few other characters. Examine the margin or edge of the leaf. Is it smooth or toothed? If toothed, do teeth cover the margin from apex to base, or is the margin toothed only along the upper half of the leaf? Does the edge appear to have a border distinct from the rest of the leaf blade? Typically a border is due to a rolled-down leaf margin, thus overlapping cell layers and looking dark.

Finally, search the clump or mat for sporophytes. A sporophyte consists of a spore-producing capsule elevated atop a stalk above the green, photosynthetic gametophyte of the moss. Although some species rarely, if ever, produce capsules, many mosses do so yearly. The shape and orientation of the capsule along with characters of its lid and hood are useful and sometimes essential features for identifying mosses.

Collecting Mosses

A reference collection is useful for teaching others about moss diversity as well as comparing new finds to specimens that you have previously identified. Refrain from collecting where prohibited, such as in national and state parks.

Because of their diminutive size, all you need is a small sample of moss, a teaspoon to tablespoon is about right. Never collect the entire clump or mat. Avoid mixed collections in which different species grow intertwined in a tuft or mat, and if available, include some plants with capsules. A pocket knife is handy for scraping mosses from rocks and bark, and for cleaning away soil. Dripping wet plants should be squeezed gently to remove excess water.

Place your specimen in a paper sandwich bag or a packet made from a folded sheet of paper (see illustrated instructions). Label the packet with information such as: the date, geographic location, habitat (forest, bog, field, etc.), and substrate (rock, soil, bark, etc.) on which the moss was growing. Once you have identified the moss, record its name on the packet.

After returning from the field, open your packets and spread your specimens out to dry. Left moist, they will become moldy, which is why plastic bags are acceptable only for very short-term storage. The dried specimens can be kept in shoeboxes and organized as desired.

What Are Mosses?

Most of us as children learn iconic figures for a tree, a bird and a flower. With maturity we learn to recognize more than one species in each of these categories. Not so with mosses, despite their ubiquity and accessibility. The book you are holding is a celebration of moss species diversity and an attempt to help you discover a larger world at your feet and fingertips. But first it is necessary to resolve some common misconceptions regarding what precisely is and is not a moss.

Spanish moss is not a moss. This common name refers to both a flowering plant of the...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Princeton University Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0691156964
• ISBN 13: 9780691156965
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 391
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Princeton University Press; https://press.princeton.edu/books; ; 7th Floor, New South Building; PRINCETON; NJ; 8544; USA
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar