The Fate of Bryophyte Sporophytes—Phenology and Vectors of <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> in the Kalkalpen National Park, Austria

• Main Authors: Michaela Kropik, Harald G. Zechmeister, Christian Fuxjäger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: herbivory; mosses; monitoring; deadwood; wildlife camera
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/10/1320

Knowledge about the epixylic moss <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> has increased significantly due to the monitoring obligation under the Habitats Directive. However, there are still open questions about its dispersal, as the wind plays a limited role in forest ecosystems, and vectors have been suspected but not yet studied systematically for this species. Here, we present data on potential vectors of <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> collected for the first time with the help of cameras, completed by monitoring the fate of sporophytes during their life cycle in the Limestone Alps National Park in Austria over a period of two years. Young, green sporophytes appeared mainly in autumn, with the highest number in October. Most of them survived winter and spring but did not exceed the age of 14 months. The sharpest decline in capsules occurred in summer when mature, and the lowest number of sporophytes appeared at the end of August. Most likely, mice seem to be responsible for this loss, as the photos from the wildlife cameras suggest, and should be considered both as predators and vectors. Birds should be considered as vectors, too. In summary, most of the reproductive biomass is sacrificed in favor of more effective dispersal, including over longer distances.