Question

Mosses and liverworts are early colonizers during ecological succession and make the environment more amenable for other species. How do these plants contribute to nitrogen levels in the soil?

Answer 1

Mosses and liverworts have been found to be the first organisms to colonize either a primary succession or secondary succession. Their spores are carried by birds, insects or wind.

Studies indicate that mosses and liverworts make the soil more amenable to colonization by other plants. This can be attributed to the fact that mosses and liverworts establish symbiotic association with nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, thus replenishing the soil with nitrogen.