La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Towards sustainable commercial moss harvest in the Pacific Northwest of North America
Auteurs :	J. E. Peck, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Biological Conservation (128(3) MAR 2006)
Article en page(s) :	289-297
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	The Pacific Northwest is the main source of commercially harvested forest moss in North America, but management guidelines have only included this nontimber forest product for ca. 15 years and research on sustainable harvest practices is barely a decade old. This review summarizes the results of recent research, identifies future research needs, and proposes guidelines for the sustainable management of tree moss (a mixture of mosses and liverworts). The epiphytic species most affected by harvest are Isothecium myosuroides, Neckera douglasii, and Porella navicularis, but dozens of taxa are thought to be impacted. Harvest impacts include reductions in biomass and cover and changes in relative species composition, but it is too early to tell if the species composition will return to pre-harvest conditions. Biomass recovery is slow and estimated rotation periods are 15-25 years. Inventory estimates are still lacking, but harvestable quantities of epiphytic moss are most abundant in low elevation and riparian areas and absent in stands that are very dark and/or lack hardwood tree and shrub species (e.g.,

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