69-642: Porongurup National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia . It covers 26.21 square kilometres (10.12 sq mi), and is 360 kilometres (220 mi) southeast of Perth and 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Albany . The park contains the Porongurup Range , which is the relic core of an ancient mountain range formed in the Precambrian over 1200 million years ago. The Porongurup Range forms part of
138-590: A devastating fire in the region since the 1960s. The park includes a number of significant tourist features and walk trails. Great Southern (Western Australia) The Great Southern region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia , as defined by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 , for the purposes of economic development. It is a section of the larger south coast of Western Australia and neighbouring agricultural regions. The region officially comprises
207-407: A few years of exposure to wind and rain. Materials which are porous and moisture retentive, such as brick , wood , and certain coarse concrete mixtures, are hospitable to moss. Surfaces can also be prepared with acidic substances, including buttermilk , yogurt , urine , and gently puréed mixtures of moss samples, water and ericaceous compost . In the cool, humid, cloudy Pacific Northwest , moss
276-926: A garden weed in Vancouver and Seattle areas; Bryum argenteum , the cosmopolitan sidewalk moss, and Ceratodon purpureus , red roof moss, another cosmopolitan species. A few species are wholly aquatic, such as Fontinalis antipyretica , common water moss; and others such as Sphagnum inhabit bogs, marshes and very slow-moving waterways. Such aquatic or semi-aquatic mosses can greatly exceed the normal range of lengths seen in terrestrial mosses. Individual plants 20–30 cm (8–12 in) or more long are common in Sphagnum species for example. But even aquatic species of moss and other bryophytes needs their mature capsules to be exposed to air by seta elongation or seasonal lowering of water level to be able to reproduce. Wherever they occur, mosses require liquid water for at least part of
345-408: A haploid spore that germinates to produce a protonema ( pl. protonemata), which is either a mass of thread-like filaments or thalloid (flat and thallus-like). Massed moss protonemata typically look like a thin green felt, and may grow on damp soil, tree bark, rocks, concrete, or almost any other reasonably stable surface. This is a transitory stage in the life of a moss, but from the protonema grows
414-536: A member of the Polytrichidae is probably Dawsonia superba , a native to New Zealand and other parts of Australasia . The fossil record of moss is sparse, due to their soft-walled and fragile nature. Unambiguous moss fossils have been recovered from as early as the Permian of Antarctica and Russia, and a case has been made for Carboniferous mosses. It has further been claimed that tube-like fossils from
483-414: A partner that contains the same, or similar, genetic information. By contrast, mosses and other bryophytes have only a single set of chromosomes and so are haploid (i.e. each chromosome exists in a unique copy within the cell). There is a period in the moss life cycle when they do have a double set of paired chromosomes, but this happens only during the sporophyte stage. The moss life-cycle starts with
552-438: A scent-mediated relationship analogous to the plant-pollinator relationship found in many seed plants. The stinkmoss species Splachnum sphaericum develops insect pollination further by attracting flies to its sporangia with a strong smell of carrion, and providing a strong visual cue in the form of red-coloured swollen collars beneath each spore capsule. Flies attracted to the moss carry its spores to fresh herbivore dung, which
621-412: A similar purpose. Mosses can be either dioicous (compare dioecious in seed plants) or monoicous (compare monoecious ). In dioicous mosses, male and female sex organs are borne on different gametophyte plants. In monoicous (also called autoicous) mosses, both are borne on the same plant. In the presence of water, sperm from the antheridia swim to the archegonia and fertilisation occurs, leading to
690-633: Is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from east to west and consists of porphyritic granite peaks levelled into domes. The range is the remnant of a sizeable reservoir of molten granite that bubbled up when the Antarctic continent struck Australia in the Stenian Period of the Mesoproterozoic Era , around 1200 million (1.2 billion) years ago. The sea levels of the late Cretaceous were around 100 metres higher than today and during this time
759-473: Is also important for richness in lilies, orchids and allies ( Liliales ), notably native lilies (Anthericaceae), irises and allies ( Iridaceae ), and orchids ( Orchidaceae ). High granite peaks create their own micro-climates due to their altitude and their capacity to attract topographic rainfall. This maintains cooler and moister climate conditions than the surrounding low-lying plains. A remnant island of karri forest prevails here, hundreds of kilometres east of
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#1732791890558828-435: Is deliberately encouraged to grow under aesthetic principles exemplified by Japanese gardening . In old temple gardens, moss can carpet a forest scene. Moss is thought to add a sense of calm, age, and stillness to a garden scene. Moss is also used in bonsai to cover the soil and enhance the impression of age. Rules of cultivation are not widely established. Moss collections are quite often begun using samples transplanted from
897-448: Is disrupted by fungal chitin . Galotto et al. , 2020 applied chitooctaose and found that tips detected and responded to this chitin derivative by changing gene expression . They concluded that this defense response was probably conserved from the most recent common ancestor of bryophytes and tracheophytes . Orr et al. , 2020 found that the microtubules of growing tip cells were structurally similar to F-actin and served
966-545: Is famous for its moss garden. The moss garden was created by removing shrubby underbrush and herbaceous groundcovers, thinning trees, and allowing mosses to fill in naturally. Mosses are sometimes used in green roofs . Advantages of mosses over higher plants in green roofs include reduced weight loads, increased water absorption, no fertilizer requirements, and high drought tolerance. Since mosses do not have true roots, they require less planting medium than higher plants with extensive root systems. With proper species selection for
1035-446: Is positively associated with the presence of dwarf males in several phyllodioicous species. Dwarf males occur in several unrelated lineages and may be more common than previously thought. For example, it is estimated that between one quarter and half of all dioicous pleurocarps have dwarf males. The moss Physcomitrium patens has been used as a model organism to study how plants repair damage to their DNA, especially
1104-504: Is sometimes allowed to grow naturally as a moss lawn , one that needs little or no mowing, fertilizing or watering. In this case, grass is considered to be the weed. Landscapers in the Seattle area sometimes collect boulders and downed logs growing mosses for installation in gardens and landscapes. Woodland gardens in many parts of the world can include a carpet of natural mosses. The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, Washington State,
1173-534: Is the dominant phase of the life cycle . This contrasts with the pattern in all vascular plants ( seed plants and pteridophytes ), where the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant. Mosses reproduce using spores , not seeds , and have no flowers. Moss gametophytes have stems which may be simple or branched and upright (acrocarp) or prostrate (pleurocarp). The early divergent classes Takakiopsida, Sphagnopsida, Andreaeopsida and Andreaeobryopsida either lack stomata or have pseudostomata that do not form pores. In
1242-545: Is the favoured habitat of the species of this genus. In many mosses, e.g., Ulota phyllantha , green vegetative structures called gemmae are produced on leaves or branches, which can break off and form new plants without the need to go through the cycle of fertilization. This is a means of asexual reproduction , and the genetically identical units can lead to the formation of clonal populations. Moss dwarf males (also known as nannandry or phyllodioicy ) originate from wind-dispersed male spores that settle and germinate on
1311-577: Is the only place in Western Australia that regularly receives snowfalls , if only very light. The economy of the Great Southern is dominated by livestock farming, dairy farming and crop -growing. It has some of the most productive cereal grain and pastoral land in the state, and is a major producer of wool and lamb . Albany is a major fishing centre. The coast of the Great Southern has milder summer weather than areas on
1380-558: The Silurian are the macerated remains of moss calyptræ . Mosses also appear to evolve 2–3 times slower than ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms . Recent research shows that ancient moss could explain why the Ordovician ice ages occurred. When the ancestors of today's moss started to spread on land 470 million years ago, they absorbed CO 2 from the atmosphere and extracted minerals by secreting organic acids that dissolved
1449-475: The Southern Hemisphere . Some naturalists feel that mosses grow on the damper side of trees and rocks. In some cases, such as sunny climates in temperate northern latitudes, this will be the shaded north side of the tree or rock. On steep slopes, it may be the uphill side. For mosses that grow on tree branches, this is generally the upper side of the branch on horizontally growing sections or near
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#17327918905581518-408: The gametophore ("gamete-bearer") that is structurally differentiated into stems and leaves. A single mat of protonemata may develop several gametophore shoots, resulting in a clump of moss. From the tips of the gametophore stems or branches develop the sex organs of the mosses. The female organs are known as archegonia ( sing. archegonium ) and are protected by a group of modified leaves known as
1587-467: The local government areas of Albany , Broomehill-Tambellup , Cranbrook , Denmark , Gnowangerup , Jerramungup , Katanning , Kent , Kojonup , Plantagenet and Woodanilling . The Great Southern has an area of 39,007 square kilometres (15,061 sq mi) and a population of about 54,000. Its administrative centre is the historic port of Albany . It has a Mediterranean climate , with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The Stirling Range
1656-410: The polysporangiophytes , which include all vascular plants. The spore-producing sporophytes (i.e. the diploid multicellular generation) are short-lived and usually capable of photosynthesis, but are dependent on the gametophyte for water supply and most or all of its nutrients. Also, in the majority of mosses, the spore-bearing capsule enlarges and matures after its stalk elongates, while in liverworts
1725-423: The red-eared firetail (Emblema oculata) and Baudin's black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) are also found in the park. At least 17 reptile species are known to inhabit the park including King's skink (Egernia kingii), the southern heath monitor ( Varanus rosenbergi ) and the marbled gecko ( Phyllodactylus marmoratus ). Several tree frog and southern frog species are also evident. Invertebrates present in
1794-407: The western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular), pygmy possum (Cercartetus concinnus), mardo (or yellow-footed antechinus – Antechinus flavipes leucogaster), mooti (or bush rat – Rattus fuscipes fuscipes ), quenda (or southern brown bandicoot – Isoodon obesulus fusciventer) and honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). Seventy-one bird species including
1863-584: The National Park (it was an unusual depression that produced very little rainfall after moving south of the Tropic of Capricorn ). On 11 February 2007, a fire began on private property near the north-west corner of the park. It quickly spread into the native vegetation and raced up the steep slopes within hours. Volunteer fire crews and Department 's firefighters battled the fast-moving blaze and managed to contain it overnight after it had burnt around 50% of
1932-568: The National Park include Gondwanan relictual species such as the Porongurup trapdoor spider (Neohomogona bolganupensis), land snails ( Bothriembryon spp.) and giant earthworms (Megacolex sp.). Other invertebrates include peacock spiders (Maratus sp), velvet worms ( Onychophora ) and the social crab spider (Diaea socialis). The plains surrounding the Porongurup Range have an annual rainfall of around 800 millimetres (31 in) to
2001-720: The Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea. The Porongurup National Park contains over 700 native plant species and at least 300 macrofungi species. At least nine flora species are unique and found only in the park. Examples of plant groups present include: heaths ( Epacridaceae ), especially beard-heaths ( Leucopogon ); peas ( Fabaceae ), notably flame-peas ( Chorizema ), bitter-peas ( Daviesia and Bossiaea ) and poison-peas ( Gastrolobium ); native myrtles ( Myrtaceae ); pimeleas ( Thymelaeaceae ), notably rice flowers ( Pimelea ); sundews and pitcher plants ( Nepenthales ); bloodroots, conostyles, kangaroo paws and their allies (Haemodorales); and banksias and grevilleas ( Proteales ). It
2070-498: The Southwest Biodiversity Hotspot, which is one of 34 regions in the world noted for a rich diversity of flora and fauna species. The range contains many peaks and hiking trails, with the highest point being Devils Slide at 670 metres (2,200 ft),followed by Nancy's Peak at 644 metres. Castle Rock (558 metres) is capped with The Granite Skywalk, a steel viewing platform which provides panoramic views of
2139-502: The atmosphere. Small organisms feeding on the nutrients created large areas without oxygen, which caused a mass extinction of marine species, while the levels of CO 2 dropped all over the world, allowing the formation of ice caps on the poles. Moss gametophytes are autotrophic and require sunlight to perform photosynthesis . Shade tolerance varies by species, just as it does with higher plants. In most areas, mosses grow chiefly in moist, shaded areas, such as wooded areas and at
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2208-430: The capsule enlarges and matures before its stalk elongates. Other differences are not universal for all mosses and all liverworts, but the presence of a clearly differentiated stem with simple-shaped, non-vascular leaves that are not arranged in three ranks, all point to the plant being a moss. Vascular plants have two sets of chromosomes in their vegetative cells and are said to be diploid , i.e. each chromosome has
2277-407: The capsule is mature. Within the capsule, spore-producing cells undergo meiosis to form haploid spores, upon which the cycle can start again. The mouth of the capsule is usually ringed by a set of teeth called peristome. This may be absent in some mosses. Most mosses rely on the wind to disperse the spores. In the genus Sphagnum the spores are projected about 10–20 cm (4–8 in) off
2346-449: The classes Bryopsida, Marchantiopsida, and Anthocerotopsida, respectively. The mosses and liverworts are now considered to belong to a clade called Setaphyta . The mosses, (Bryophyta sensu stricto), are divided into eight classes: vascular plants hornworts liverworts Takakiopsida Sphagnopsida Andreaeopsida Andreaeobryopsida Oedipodiopsida Polytrichopsida Tetraphidopsida Bryopsida Six of
2415-400: The cool southwest cape where they are more commonly found. They thrive in the granitic soils (known as "karri loam") and cool, moist air. On lateritic soils downslope, the predominant type of vegetation is a mixed forest of jarrah and marri , whilst on the highly exposed and frequently waterlogged summits, an open mossy herbland prevails. The mammal species in the National Park include
2484-539: The crotch. In cool, humid, cloudy climates, all sides of tree trunks and rocks may be equally moist enough for moss growth. Each species of moss requires certain amounts of moisture and sunlight and thus will grow on certain sections of the same tree or rock. Some mosses grow underwater, or completely waterlogged. Many prefer well-drained locations. There are mosses that preferentially grow on rocks and tree trunks of various chemistries. In boreal forests , some species of moss play an important role in providing nitrogen for
2553-515: The daytime and decline to around 18 °C (64 °F) at night. In winter, although it can be rainy, temperatures average a very pleasant 16 °C (61 °F) during the day and a cool 8 °C (46 °F) in the morning. Temperatures on the peaks are around 3 °C (5.4 °F) lower than on the plains, and snow has occasionally fallen on the ranges (heavily in October 1992 and June 1956). In 1978, Cyclone Alby felled many trees within
2622-405: The ecosystem due to their relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria . Cyanobacteria colonize moss and receive shelter in return for providing fixed nitrogen. Moss releases the fixed nitrogen, along with other nutrients, into the soil "upon disturbances like drying-rewetting and fire events", making it available throughout the ecosystem. Moss is often considered a weed in grass lawns, but
2691-585: The edges of streams, but they can grow anywhere in cool, humid, cloudy climates, and some species are adapted to sunny, seasonally dry areas like alpine rocks or stabilized sand dunes. Choice of substrate varies by species as well. Moss species can be classed as growing on: rocks, exposed mineral soil, disturbed soils, acid soil, calcareous soil, cliff seeps and waterfall spray areas, streamsides, shaded humusy soil, downed logs, burnt stumps, tree trunk bases, upper tree trunks, and tree branches or in bogs . Moss species growing on or under trees are often specific about
2760-613: The eight classes contain only one or two genera each. Polytrichopsida includes 23 genera, and Bryopsida includes the majority of moss diversity with over 95% of moss species belonging to this class. The Sphagnopsida, the peat-mosses, comprise the two living genera Ambuchanania and Sphagnum , as well as fossil taxa. Sphagnum is a diverse, widespread, and economically important one. These large mosses form extensive acidic bogs in peat swamps. The leaves of Sphagnum have large dead cells alternating with living photosynthetic cells. The dead cells help to store water. Aside from this character,
2829-598: The establishment of a temporary British military base, commanded by Major Edmund Lockyer , at King George Sound (Albany) on Christmas Day, 1826. Albany is consequently regarded as the oldest European settlement in Western Australia. 35°S 117°E / 35°S 117°E / -35; 117 Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta ( / b r aɪ ˈ ɒ f ə t ə / , / ˌ b r aɪ . ə ˈ f aɪ t ə / ) sensu stricto . Bryophyta ( sensu lato , Schimp . 1879 ) may also refer to
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2898-420: The exception of the ancient group Takakiopsida , no known mosses form mycorrhiza , but bryophilous fungi is widespread in moss and other bryophytes, where they live as saprotrophs, parasites, pathogens and mutualists, some of them endophytes . Mosses differ from vascular plants in lacking water-bearing xylem tracheids or vessels . As in liverworts and hornworts , the haploid gametophyte generation
2967-472: The female shoot where their growth is restricted to a few millimeters. In some species, dwarfness is genetically determined, in that all male spores become dwarf. More often, it is environmentally determined in that male spores that land on a female become dwarf, while those that land elsewhere develop into large, female-sized males. In the latter case, dwarf males that are transplanted from females to another substrate develop into large shoots, suggesting that
3036-468: The females emit a substance which inhibits the growth of germinating males and possibly also quickens their onset of sexual maturation. The nature of such a substance is unknown, but the phytohormone auxin may be involved Having the males growing as dwarfs on the female is expected to increase the fertilization efficiency by minimizing the distance between male and female reproductive organs. Accordingly, it has been observed that fertilization frequency
3105-443: The fertilization distance. After fertilisation, the immature sporophyte pushes its way out of the archegonial venter. It takes several months for the sporophyte to mature. The sporophyte body comprises a long stalk, called a seta, and a capsule capped by a cap called the operculum . The capsule and operculum are in turn sheathed by a haploid calyptra which is the remains of the archegonial venter. The calyptra usually falls off when
3174-401: The fins on a heat sink. These carry out photosynthesis and may help to conserve moisture by partially enclosing the gas exchange surfaces. The Polytrichopsida differ from other mosses in other details of their development and anatomy too, and can also become larger than most other mosses, with e.g., Polytrichum commune forming cushions up to 40 cm (16 in) high. The tallest land moss,
3243-542: The fire had burnt through around 95% of the national park. As many of the trees and vegetation are native to the region, it is expected that the park will, to a large extent, recover in the months after the fire. By early April, Kingia australis plants were re-shooting and flowering abundantly in heavily burnt areas but the legacy of the fire will be felt for some time to come. Local populations of kangaroos and other wildlife were injured and local residents assisted in their care and recovery where possible. There has not been such
3312-636: The genus Sphagnum ), although they are also used for decorative purposes, such as in gardens and in the florist trade. Traditional uses of mosses included as insulation and for the ability to absorb liquids up to 20 times their weight. Moss is a keystone genus and benefits habitat restoration and reforestation . Botanically, mosses are non-vascular plants in the land plant division Bryophyta. They are usually small (a few centimeters tall) herbaceous (non-woody) plants that absorb water and nutrients mainly through their leaves and harvest carbon dioxide and sunlight to create food by photosynthesis . With
3381-614: The ground by compressed air contained in the capsules; the spores are accelerated to about 36,000 times the earth's gravitational acceleration g . It has recently been found that microarthropods, such as springtails and mites , can effect moss fertilization and that this process is mediated by moss-emitted scents. Male and female fire moss , for example emit different and complex volatile organic scents. Female plants emit more compounds than male plants. Springtails were found to choose female plants preferentially, and one study found that springtails enhance moss fertilization, suggesting
3450-664: The leaf can be smooth or it may have teeth. There may be a distinct type of cell defining the edge of the leaf, distinct in shape and/or colour from the other leaf cells. Moss has threadlike rhizoids that anchor them to their substrate, comparable to root hairs rather than the more substantial root structures of spermatophytes . Mosses do not absorb water or nutrients from their substrate through their rhizoids. They can be distinguished from liverworts ( Marchantiophyta or Hepaticae) by their multi-cellular rhizoids. Spore-bearing capsules or sporangia of mosses are borne singly on long, unbranched stems, thereby distinguishing them from
3519-804: The parent group bryophytes , which comprise liverworts , mosses, and hornworts . Mosses typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple leaves that are generally only one cell thick, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients. Although some species have conducting tissues, these are generally poorly developed and structurally different from similar tissue found in vascular plants . Mosses do not have seeds and after fertilisation develop sporophytes with unbranched stalks topped with single capsules containing spores . They are typically 0.2–10 cm (0.1–3.9 in) tall, though some species are much larger. Dawsonia ,
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#17327918905583588-565: The park. The fire broke containment lines on Monday afternoon (12 February) and spread further through the park and into private property to the north-east. Fire crews, including aerial support from six water bomber planes , continued the battle to contain the blaze and by Tuesday morning it was again under control though still burning freely within the containment zone. Water bombers paid special attention to tourist facilities and special habitats, including an area where endangered noisy scrub birds had been released. By Wednesday morning (14 February)
3657-426: The pattern in all vascular plants ( seed plants and pteridophytes ), where the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant. Lichens may superficially resemble mosses, and sometimes have common names that include the word "moss" (e.g., " reindeer moss " or " Iceland moss "), but they are fungal symbioses and not related to mosses. The main commercial significance of mosses is as the main constituent of peat (mostly
3726-480: The perichaetum (plural, perichaeta). The archegonia are small flask-shaped clumps of cells with an open neck (venter) down which the male sperm swim. The male organs are known as antheridia ( sing. antheridium ) and are enclosed by modified leaves called the perigonium ( pl. perigonia). The surrounding leaves in some mosses form a splash cup, allowing the sperm contained in the cup to be splashed to neighboring stalks by falling water droplets. Gametophore tip growth
3795-538: The principal sensor of DNA double-strand breaks) showed that these genes are necessary for repair of DNA damage as well as for normal growth and development. More recently, mosses have been grouped with the liverworts and hornworts in the division Bryophyta ( bryophytes , or Bryophyta sensu lato ). The bryophyte division itself contains three (former) divisions: Bryophyta (mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts) and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts); it has been proposed that these latter divisions are de-ranked to
3864-464: The production of a diploid sporophyte. The sperm of mosses is biflagellate, i.e. they have two flagellae that aid in propulsion. Since the sperm must swim to the archegonium, fertilisation cannot occur without water. Some species (for example Mnium hornum or several species of Polytrichum ) keep their antheridia in so called 'splash cups', bowl-like structures on the shoot tips that propel the sperm several decimeters when water droplets hit it, increasing
3933-418: The remaining classes, stomata have been lost more than 60 times. Their leaves are simple, usually only a single layer of cells with no internal air spaces, often with thicker midribs (nerves). The nerve can run beyond the edge of the leaf tip, termed excurrent. The tip of the leaf blade can be extended as a hair point, made of colourless cells. These appear white against the dark green of the leaves. The edge of
4002-570: The repair mechanism functions in plants. For example, a study of P. patens mutants defective in Rp RAD51, a gene that encodes a protein at the core of the recombinational repair reaction, indicated that homologous recombination is essential for repairing DNA double-strand breaks in this plant. Similarly, studies of mutants defective in Ppmre11 or Pprad50 (that encode key proteins of the MRN complex ,
4071-568: The repair mechanism known as homologous recombination . If the plant cannot repair DNA damage, e.g., double-strand breaks , in their somatic cells , the cells can lose normal functions or die. If this occurs during meiosis (part of sexual reproduction), they could become infertile. The genome of P. patens has been sequenced, which has allowed several genes involved in DNA repair to be identified. P. patens mutants that are defective in key steps of homologous recombination have been used to work out how
4140-442: The rocks they were growing on. These chemically altered rocks in turn reacted with the atmospheric CO 2 and formed new carbonate rocks in the ocean through the weathering of calcium and magnesium ions from silicate rocks. The weathered rocks also released significant amounts of phosphorus and iron which ended up in the oceans, where it caused massive algal blooms, resulting in organic carbon burial, extracting more carbon dioxide from
4209-436: The south and around 600 millimetres (24 in) on the northern side. Most of this rain falls between April and October: although light showers are common in the summer months, the average rainfall between November and March totals only around 110 millimetres (4.3 in) in the southern plains and less than 75 millimetres (3.0 in) to the north. Summer temperatures on the plains average a very warm 26 °C (79 °F) in
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#17327918905584278-473: The species of trees they grow on, such as preferring conifers over broadleaf trees , oaks over alders , or vice versa. While mosses often grow on trees as epiphytes , they are never parasitic on the tree. Mosses are also found in cracks between paving stones in damp city streets, and on roofs. Some species adapted to disturbed, sunny areas are well adapted to urban conditions and are commonly found in cities. Examples would be Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus ,
4347-472: The surrounding districts did not start until around 1859 when vegetables were first grown on the southern slopes of the range. The giant karri and jarrah trees of the range were first harvested for timber in the 1880s and timber leases did not begin to be withdrawn until 1925. The National Park was not gazetted officially until 1971, with an area of 1,157 hectares (2,860 acres). This has now been increased to 2,511 hectares (6,200 acres). The Porongurup Range
4416-635: The surrounding karri forest. The Porongurup Range is culturally significant to the Mineng and Koreng /Goreng sub-groups of the Noongar people. Minang man Larry Blight states: This is our most sacred site...Porongurup or "Borrongup" means totem in Noongar — a totem could be an animal or a plant that we inherit from our mother’s and father’s side when we are born. The Porongurup Range was first sighted by Europeans passing near Albany in 1802 but farming in
4485-433: The tallest moss in the world, can grow to 50 cm (20 in) in height. There are approximately 12,000 species. Mosses are commonly confused with liverworts, hornworts and lichens . Although often described as non-vascular plants , many mosses have advanced vascular systems. Like liverworts and hornworts, the haploid gametophyte generation of mosses is the dominant phase of the life cycle . This contrasts with
4554-496: The unique branching, thallose (flat and expanded) protonema, and explosively rupturing sporangium place it apart from other mosses. Andreaeopsida and Andreaeobryopsida are distinguished by the biseriate (two rows of cells) rhizoids, multiseriate (many rows of cells) protonema, and sporangium that splits along longitudinal lines. Most mosses have capsules that open at the top. Polytrichopsida have leaves with sets of parallel lamellae, flaps of chloroplast-containing cells that look like
4623-527: The west coast proper and is also a popular destination for holidaymakers, tourists , anglers and surfers . Albany is home to the Kalgan River which is associated with riverboats , from 1918 to 1935 with Silver Star which lowered its funnel to get under a bridge, and today with Kalgan Queen which lowers its roof to pass beneath the same bridge. Noongar people have inhabited the region for tens of thousands of years. European settlement began with
4692-458: The wild in a water-retaining bag. Some species of moss can be extremely difficult to maintain away from their natural sites with their unique requirements of combinations of light, humidity, substrate chemistry, shelter from wind, etc. Growing moss from spores is even less controlled. Moss spores fall in a constant rain on exposed surfaces; those surfaces which are hospitable to a certain species of moss will typically be colonised by that moss within
4761-513: The year to complete fertilisation. Many mosses can survive desiccation , sometimes for months, returning to life within a few hours of rehydration. It is generally believed that in the Northern Hemisphere , the north side of trees and rocks will generally have more luxuriant moss growth on average than other sides. The reason is assumed to be because sunshine on the south side causes a dry environment. The reverse would be true in
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