Mosses and Liverworts

Mosses are found in many ecosystems except in sea and desert environments. While mosses are abundant in shady, wet environments, they can tolerate periods of dryness, reviving when supplied with water. Mosses like Sphagnum can hold huge amounts of water in dead cells in their leaves. Mosses typically have tiny leaves around a short stem that contain photosynthetic pigments. Lichens are made up of a fungus and green algae, both living together in a symbiotic relationship. The alga provides sugars to the fungus via photosynthesis while the fungus provides nutrients to the alga via decomposition.