Red Moss, Aberdeenshire

Red Moss is a wetland bog in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, located at the northwestern edge of the village of Netherley. (Grid Reference NO 955 856) The moss is designated a national Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage, due to its biodiversity and undisturbed character. The elevation of Red Moss is 113 metres above mean sea level. The upland areas above Red Moss are characterised as agricultural and woodland parcels which are generally attractive and separated by ancient drystone walls or hedgerows.

Hydrology and water quality

The outlet to Red Moss with respect to drainage is the Crynoch Burn, which continues by the Lairhillock Inn and thence through Maryculter and the Oldman Wood. Feeding the Red Moss are the headwaters of Crynoch Burn, along with smaller tributaries draining lands of the south and east.

The bog is clearly acidic, with pH levels in the range of 5.68; moreover, electrical conductivity of the waters are low. Summer water temperatures are in the range of 17.5 to 18.0 degrees Celsius.

Moss

Mosses are small flowerless plants that typically grow in dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple, one-cell thick leaves, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients. Although some species have vascular tissue this is generally poorly developed and structurally different from similar tissue found in other plants. They do not have seeds and after fertilisation develop sporophytes (unbranched stalks topped with single capsules containing spores). They are typically 0.2–10 cm (0.1–3.9 in) tall, though some species are much larger, like Dawsonia, the tallest moss in the world, which can grow to 50 cm (20 in) in height.

Mosses are commonly confused with lichens, hornworts, and liverworts. Lichens may superficially look like mosses, and have common names that include the word "moss" (e.g., "reindeer moss" or "iceland moss"), but are not related to mosses. Mosses, hornworts, and liverworts are collectively called "bryophytes". Bryophytes share the property of having the haploid gametophyte generation as the dominant phase of the life cycle. This contrasts with the pattern in all "vascular" plants (seed plants and pteridophytes), where the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant.

Mossé

Mossé is a French family name:

Mossø

Mossø is Denmark's third largest freshwater lake and Jutland's largest, as measured by surface area. The lake is located just east of the city of Skanderborg in east Jutland, but is part of both Skanderborg Municipality and Horsens Municipality. Mossø lies in the middle of the area and landscape known as Søhøjlandet (English: The Lake-highland).

There is a small lake named Mossø in the forest of Rold Skov in Himmerland.

Nature

Both ospreys and white-tailed eagle is regularly observed at Mossø and the later have recently established here as a breeding bird, which is rare in Denmark.

Mossø is part of the 4,470 ha Natura 2000 protection area, designated as number 52. The lake is also designated as an international bird protection area, with number F35.

References

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