Why doesn’t moss like sunlight?

Moss is the lowest higher plant. Generally, plants on land have evolved from aquatic to terrestrial. Moss is the simplest of plants growing from aquatic to terrestrial. It has no flowers or seeds and reproduces in the form of spores. We all know that moss will only appear in shady and humid places, so why does moss as a plant dislike sunlight? We use science to find answers.

The structure of moss is very simple, with only small stems and small leaves. Some mosses have only flat fronds. Its root is a false root, which only serves to fix itself. Under the simple structure, there are neither roots for water absorption and nutrient transport, nor vascular bundles. The photosynthesis of small leaves is also very limited, so the maximum moss is only 10 cm.

Due to the limitation of its own conditions, moss mostly grows in the wet shade of rocks and moist forests and swamps. In tropical rain forests, many moss still grow in the shade of tree trunks. Such an environment will not cause the loss of its own water, and at the same time mosses also need to photosynthesize, so they need a short period of sunlight or scattering.

Another important reason why moss chooses a dark and humid place for reproduction is the reproductive characteristics of moss. In the mature season, sperm will overflow from the genitals of the moss, and the sperm need to use water to swim to the vicinity of the ovipositor to form a fertilized egg. At this time, the fertilized egg develops into a sporophyte. The spores inside the spores mature and drift away with the wind. In a suitable environment, the spores start a new generation of survival. Mosses are the pioneers in nature. They can secrete a liquid that can accelerate the weathering of rocks. In lakes and swamps, moss is constantly growing and dying, which gradually transforms waters into land.

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