Home/Species/ Olympic Brachydontium Moss

Brachydontium olympicum

(Britt.) McIntosh & Spence

Olympic Brachydontium Moss

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.126171

Element CodeNBMUS0X020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryNonvascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumBryophyta

ClassBryopsida

OrderSeligeriales

FamilySeligeriaceae

GenusBrachydontium

Other Common Names

Olympic brachydontium moss (EN) Pacific Volcano Moss (EN)

Concept Reference

Anderson, L.E., H.A. Crum, and W.R. Buck. 1990. List of the mosses of North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4):448-499.

Taxonomic Comments

This species was recently transferred from the genus Grimmia to Brachydontium (McIntosh & Spence 1986). The type was collected in the Olympic Mountains in 1907 (Lawton 1971). Also from Alaska (University British Columbia herbarium records).

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-07-25

Change Date2024-07-25

Edition Date2024-07-25

Edition AuthorsBelland René J., rev. Johnson, J. (2024)

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 20

Rank Reasons

Brachydontium olympicum is a moss found on volcanic mountains around the North Pacific. It faces few natural or human threats and appears to disperse readily over long distances. Surveys in appropriate habitat are likely to find additional occurrences.

Range Extent Comments

Brachydontium olympicum is found on volcanic mountains around the North Pacific. Specimens have been collected in California, Oregon, Washington, British Colombia, Alaska, Japan, and Korea. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1963 and 2019 (Park et. al. 2019, CBH 2024).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1963 and 2019, it is estimated that there are sixteeen occurrences range-wide (Park et. al. 2019, CBH 2024). One occurrence on the north slope of Mt. St. Helens was destroyed by the eruption in 1980. Additional historic occurrences are located in northern California and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington (CBH 2024).

Threat Impact Comments

One occurrence was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and other occurrences are found on active or dormant volcanoes. The expansion of ski resort facilities in Oregon and Washington could impact nearby occurrences. Climate change may cause warmer, drier summers and earlier snowmelt within the habitat for this species.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Brachydontium olympicum grows in pockets of soil and crevices on moist, volcanic boulders and talus in upper montane forest openings, heath meadows, and alpine tundra (FNA 2007, CBH 2024).

Terrestrial Habitats

AlpineBare rock/talus/screeCliff

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Washington	S1	Yes
Oregon	S1	Yes
Alaska	SNR	Yes

CanadaN3

Province	Rank	Native
British Columbia	S3	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Small (1-10%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areas	Small (1-10%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)
10 - Geological events	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Low (long-term)
10.1 - Volcanoes	Large (31-70%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	Low (long-term)
11 - Climate change & severe weather	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	Low (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alteration	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	Low (long-term)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Oregon (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Twin Lakes	Mt. Hood National Forest	6,055

References (7)

Anderson, L.E., H.A. Crum, and W.R. Buck. 1990. List of the mosses of North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4):448-499.
Consortium of Bryophyte Herbaria (CBH). 2024. Online. Available: https//:bryophyteportal.org/portal/index.php. (Accessed 2024).
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 27. Bryophytes: Mosses, Part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxi + 713 pp.
Lawton, E. 1971. Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest. The Hattori Botanical Laboratory, Nichinan, Miyazaki, Japan.
McIntosh, T.T., and J.R. Spence. 1986. <i>Grimmmia olympica</i> Britt. (Grimmiaceae) is transferred to <i>Brachydontium </i>(Seligeriaceae). Bryologist 89: 200-202.
NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Seung Jin PARK, Byung-Yun SUN and Seung Se CHOI. December 2019. Brachydontium olympicum (E. Britton) T. T. McIntosh & J. R. Spence (Ptychomitriaceae), a newly recorded species for the Korean moss flora. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 49(4):371-373. https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2019.49.4.371

Brachydontium olympicum

Habitat

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