Woodland mosses guide
WildID Woodland mosses is a beginner-friendly guide to mosses and liverworts in British and Irish woodlands.
- Identification guide to 7 liverworts and 16 mosses found in woodland in Britain and Ireland
- Includes photographs of each species plus concise notes to help identification
- Practical for use outdoors: lightweight, rucksack-sized, splash-proof
Mosses and liverworts may be small, but they are mighty. These fascinating plants form a huge and vital part of our ecosystems, helping to stabilise soil, retain moisture and cycle nutrients. Overall there are around 25,000 species worldwide, with around 1000 species in Britain and Ireland. These plants thrive in woodland, often carpeting the ground and covering tree trunks and branches.
Yet for many naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts, mosses and liverworts remain a bit of a mystery. They can seem tricky to get to grips with, as they lack showy flowers or familiar features of other plants. It is easy to feel overwhelmed.
So where do you start? This beginner-friendly guide offers a gentle introduction. Drawing on years of experience as a field teacher, the author has handpicked a select group of species, all common in woodlands and easy to identify with just a hand lens.
You will get to know seven woodland liverworts, including the soft, leafy Overleaf Pellia, the delicate Bluish Veilwort and the intriguing Dilated Scalewort. You will also discover some of the most recognisable mosses, such as the neat Common Pincushion and the distinctive Lateral Cryphaea. This guide keeps technical terms to a minimum and focuses on living plants in the field.
Field Studies Council worked with the British Bryological Society to produce the Woodland mosses guide.
