Ostrich-plume Moss
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Ostrich-plume Moss

Ptilium crista-castrensis

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptilium_crista-castrensis

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Ostrich-plume Moss faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, logging, and land conversion in its specialized boreal and montane forest ecosystems. Climate change poses an additional critical threat by altering temperature and moisture regimes essential for this species' survival, while air pollution and acid deposition further degrade the delicate conditions required for moss growth and reproduction.

Threat summary

Habitat

Ostrich-plume Moss inhabits mature coniferous and mixed boreal forests, particularly growing on decaying logs, forest floor, and occasionally on tree bases in cool, humid microenvironments. It requires stable moisture conditions and filtered light typical of old-growth forest understories in northern temperate and subarctic regions.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ostrich-plume Moss classified as Critically Endangered?
Ostrich-plume Moss is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Ostrich-plume Moss faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation, logging, and land conversion in its specialized boreal and montane forest ecosystems. Climate change poses an additional critical threat by altering temperature and moisture regimes essential for this species' survival, while air pollution and acid deposition further degrade the delicate conditions required for moss growth and reproduction.
Where does Ostrich-plume Moss live?
Ostrich-plume Moss occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Ostrich-plume Moss?
The main threats to Ostrich-plume Moss are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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