Banded cord-moss (Entosthodon fascicularis) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 7

Habitat

Habitat Requirements

Entosthodon fascicularis usually grows on soil, sometimes amongst litter and other mosses, in open to shaded habitats, usually in or near vernally moist sites, often near rock outcrops. Grout (1935) stated the habitat as: ‘wet springy places...alt. 2100 ft.’ Lawton lists the habitat as on soil to 700 metres. Information from herbarium packets of British Columbian collections varies from “on dampish earth (on an) open outcrop” and “on moist earth of outcrop slope” to “hard packed earth near trail” or “earth of slope under Quercus” (see Collections Examined for more details on general habitat). The most detailed provincial information is from Collection Examined #3: “In large vernal pool. On open ground with Psilocarphus elatior, Juncus bufonius, Plantago bigelovii, Anagalis minima, Centaurium muhlenbergii, etc. Elevation: ca. 30m.”

Fifteen of the sixteen Canadian populations of Entosthodon fascicularis are found within the range of the nationally threatened Garry oak ecosystem. Ten populations are found in Garry oak habitats (Populations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 15). Although three sites (Populations 1,7, and 12) are in open areas surrounded by very dry Douglas-fir forest, they are considered to be within the framework of Garry oak associations as outlined in the developing provincial community classification system. The remaining outlier site is in a dry pine/fir forest in the Kootenay Region.


Trends

The habitats at most sites where Entosthodon fascicularis occur appear to be undisturbed, although Populations 3 and 5 are somewhat disturbed. The King’s Pond site is adjacent to a golf course and there is a great amount of disturbance by ducks and Canada geese around the margins of the pond when water levels are low. The specific location where the moss was found, however, did not appear to be significantly disturbed. The population at the Uplands Park site grows in a rather large low area that is wet for much of the winter. During the drier months walkers and their dogs frequently use the park.


Protection/Ownership

Ownership of some of the reported populations is undetermined (Table 2). Populations 2, 3, 11, and 15, and probably 4 and 6, are in municipal or provincial parks and are generally protected from large-scale disturbances, but not from hiking disturbances. Population 14 is within a protected area near a federal observatory. Population 9 on Saturna Island may lie within the new Southern Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

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