The Cyclic Development of Mosses and The Lichen Baeomyces Rufus in an Ecosystem

Abstract

A cyclic exchange between communities of mosses and the lichen Baeomyces rufus is described. The cushions of different mosses are supplanted by the lichen. After a lifespan of about 3 years the lichen dies off and the location is repossessed by mosses. The vegetative reproduction of the lichen is adapted to this ecological cycle.