Bryophytes: Ecological Importance — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptBryophytes in general are of little economic importance, but some mosses provide food for herbaceous mammals, birds and other animals. Species of Sphagnum, a moss, provide peat that has long been used as fuel, and because of their capacity to hold water. Mosses along with lichens are the first organisms to colonise rocks and hence, are of great ecological importance. They decompose rocks making the substrate suitable for the growth of higher plants. Since mosses form dense mats on the soil, they reduce the impact of falling rain and prevent soil erosion. The bryophytes are divided into liverworts and mosses.
Which of the following statements are correct regarding the ecological and economic importance of bryophytes? S1: Sphagnum, a moss, is extensively used in horticulture as a packing material for trans-shipment of living material due to its high water-holding capacity. S2: The slow decomposition of Sphagnum in waterlogged areas leads to the formation of peat, which has been utilized as fuel. S3: Mosses, along with lichens, are pioneer species on bare rocks, contributing to plant succession by helping in the breakdown of rocks and creation of substrate for higher plants. S4: Mosses form dense mats on the soil, which helps to increase surface runoff and accelerate soil erosion. S5: While bryophytes generally have significant economic importance as primary producers in terrestrial ecosystems, their contribution to food chains is limited to a few specific mammalian and bird species.
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