In order to examine the role of Petrophytia moss in maintaining the stability and integrity of forest vegetation, the distribution patterns of vascular plants among Petrophytia moss layer were investigated in five heterogeneous patches of evergreen broad-leaved forest at Longwangshan, Zhejiang Province. The distribution and composition of vascular plants were jointly affected by various factors, such as disturbance degree in patch, moss growth condition, and water and soil conservation ability of moss layer. Original habitats patch 1 and patch 5 were kept well, and hence, the even depth, dry weight and maximum water-holding capacity of moss layer, as well as the dry weight of soil and the soil water-absorbing rate in moss layer for patch 1 and patch 5 were much more than other patches. For example, the even depth (cm) of moss layer were decreased in the order of patch 5(2.2) > patch 1(2.0) > patch 2(1.5) > patch 3(1.1) > patch 4(0.9); the ranking of vascular plant diversities among moss layer in each patch was patch 5(16) > patch 1(14) > patch 3(9) > patch 4(7), and the general cover of these plants was followed as patch 3(30.0%) > patch 1(28.5%) > patch 5 (26.5%) > patch 2 (17.0%) > patch 4(4.5%). It was concluded that Petrophytia moss had the roles of reserving water and soil, holding litter, concentrating nutrient elements, and corrupting rock, which could improve the environmental condition of rock surface, help to the regeneration of vascular plants, and bring positive effects on the restoration or conversation of vegetation in disturbance sites and on the extension of forest scale.
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