The MNCN-CSIC has carried out, with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation, the project “Development of protocols to assess changes in growth rates, vulnerability and adaptation measures in different climate change scenarios for Mediterranean moss species in the Iberian Peninsula” to determine the adaptability to climate change of indicator species of Mediterranean mosses.

Through this project, the vulnerability to climate change of Mediterranean moss soil communities has been estimated, based on six indicator species. To this end, an experimental study protocol was developed that allows evaluating the variations in the growth of these species under changing climate conditions.

First, Iberian moss species with a relevant role in soils were selected to serve as indicators in growth tests under experimental conditions. On the other hand, a sensor, called BtM, was developed, which allows the effective growth periods of mosses to be measured based on their electrical conductivity. This growth sensor was used to measure the growth of indicator species along climate variations in an altitude gradient, through three experimental stations located between Toledo and the Sierra de Guadarrama, and in culture chambers subject to various climate change scenarios. In parallel, growth experiments were carried out in culture chambers with controlled humidity and temperature, in which different scenarios of temperature increase of the indicator species were simulated. Finally, indicator species potentially vulnerable to climate change were identified from the climate change response curves for the indicator species, and particularly vulnerable areas in the Iberian Peninsula were mapped. This information was used to identify not only threatened species, but also priority areas for the management of such threats to ecosystems.

In addition, potential impacts on some of the ecosystem services provided by mosses are identified.