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Moss Composition Affects Seedling Density Of Western Hemlock And Sitka Spruce, Katy E. Maleta Ms.

Summer Research

Nurse logs at the Hoh National Forest represent a clear understanding of how important habitat heterogeneity is in old growth forests. Looking down a nurse log, you will find various moss species and debris along with seedlings being assisted in germination. By observation, there is an effect of moss composition on seedling density. We found that when moss depth increase, seedling density decreases. We also found that where the moss was the most thick, the moss species that was present was Hylocomium Splendens (Step Moss). We also found that when moss depth decreased, seedling density increased and the moss species …