Welcome to Syntrichia.
Syntrichia ruralis var. ruraliformis, commonly named sand hill screw moss, colonises bare sand in between sparsely spaced shoots of lyme and marram grass on the first dunes beyond the beach. Though almost invisible when sand has settled on top of it, it forms a dense mat of plant material just beneath the surface. As this moss is able to hold sand in place, it helps prevent coastal villages become buried in sand during autumn and winter storms.
In many ways, this moss embodies my wider interest in the links between geomorphology, geology, hydrology, soil and climate on the one hand, and the way bryophytes and vascular plants both adapt to, and shape, these, on the other.
With a keen interest in recording bryophytes, vascular plants, butterflies and moths, I enjoy field ecology and engaging people with nature.
Syntrichia 