Language: Spanish
The mosses, liverworts and bryophytes are true antoceros-prehistoric beings of the plant kingdom and were the first plants to colonize land. Bryophytes are important in ecosystems because involved in the water cycle, form the substrate for other plants such as orchids, bromeliads and ferns and also provide habitat for small animals such as frogs, lizards, snails, arthropods, among many others. In the forests, streams, creeks, and lagoons of Quito, environmental conditions favor the growth of these plants. Despite the decline of native vegetation, we can still find them in the city and surrounding areas.