Moss

Moss growing in thermal area; Diane Renkin; 2017

A key to the mosses of Yellowstone National Park; Dwight C. Smiley; 1933

About

Moss is a type of non-vascular plant whose unique structure allows it to thrive in extreme environments where few other organisms can survive. Moss is extremely important to the Yellowstone ecosystem given that they can stand the high soil temperatures found in the thermal features of Yellowstone’s geyser basins, in addition to the heat generated by the sun.

Mosses thrive in Yellowstone’s extreme ecosystem because they don’t have the same root systems as trees and flowers, which are classified as vascular plants due to their roots, stems, and leaves that transport water and nutrients throughout the organism. Mosses are bryophytes, or non-vascular land plants, which means that they don’t have transporting stems or roots but rather depend on tissues called rhizoids to attach themselves to surfaces on which they grow.

Mosses are some of the oldest and most morphologically unique plants on earth. The next time you are in a Yellowstone geyser basin, keep an eye out for green, fuzzy plants growing among the thermal features! You might notice the lack of other plant life and an abundance of piping hot steam that, contrary to what you think you might know about plants, make an ideal breeding ground for mosses.  

Helpful Resources

A Checklist of Montana Mosses (1880-2018)

Mosses are AWE-some, In the Shadow of the Arch

Housing the Plants of Yellowstone -- the Park Herbarium, In the Shadow of the Arch

Mosses and Liverworts, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Vascular Plants, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Yellowstone Herbarium, Yellowstone National Park

Library Resources

Ask a Question

Submit questions to yell_research_library@nps.gov. You can alternatively call the library at (307)344-2264, or visit us in person.