The Habitats of Three Boreal Fen Mosses New to the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado
Cooper DJ. 1991. The Habitats of Three Boreal Fen Mosses New to the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The Bryologist. 94(1):49-50
Three boreal fen mosses are reported new to the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Scorpidium scorpioides (Hedw.) Limpr. occurs in extreme rich fens in the area of South Park. It occupies seasonal pools in high elevation mires where high pH and marl deposits occur. Paludella squarrosa (Hedw.) Brid. forms cushions in two rich fens above treeline on Guanella Pass where it is fed by water with nearly neutral pH. Sphagnum contortum K.F. Schultz occurs in two poor to intermediate fens in mires on the edge of small moraine-dammed ponds in Rocky Mountain National Park. It forms continuous carpet at the water's edge where it is seasonally flooded. All three species are new to the southern Rocky Mountains and occur in similar habitats to those described for these species in real mires. The presence of these species and knowledge of their ecology help elucidate the relationship between the southern Rocky Mountain and the boreal mire floras.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Cooper, David
- Units
- ROMO
- Keywords
- Bryophytes (Bryophyta), fens, Habitats, Moss, Paludella squarrosa, Plant Studies, Scorpidium scorpioides, Sphagnum contortum