Tuesday 16 December 2014

Another fruitless search for Tongue-leaf Copper-moss

Today I had another look for the Scopelophila at Six Pits Branch and a very brief look at Atlantic Close. It is really frustrating me as I cannot find it despite having Sam's 10-fig grid refs. I refuse to believe it's gone as there are sizeable areas of ground that are covered in Weissia controversa var. densifolia, along with the Brachytheciastrum velutinumCephaloziella spp. etc also noted by Sam. Unfortunately the grid ref takes you to an area that is dense impenetrable scrub, so I'm guessing there's something up with either the gps reading or the calibration of the Google map (stick SS67919668 into grabagridref and you'll see what I mean) - perhaps I should have used my gps to relocate. The Atlantic Close sites look less favourable for refinding as these are now both heavily scrubbed over and there's a lot of leaf litter. I'm thinking perhaps I'll be better off looking for a colony of my own next time I'm down that way...
W. controversa var. densifolia growing below galvanized fencing,
though it also grows extensively on the metalliferous soils in this
area along with Bryum pallescens

4 comments:

  1. The main Scopelophila colony was almost surrounded by ulex when I found it, so I have a nasty feeling that the grid ref is right. Have you got my report? The other population was really tiny so could easily be missed.

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  2. No I don't have the report, just the db record - there's also been a lot of amenity brash dumped pretty much bang on where your grid ref is :-(

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