You may be surprised to learn that this elegant plant dappled with water droplets is a variety of moss: Tortula muralis, better known as wall screw-moss. It"s found all over the world, even in urban areas where more sensitive mosses have a hard time thriving because of dry soil and air pollution. Mosses in general are accurate monitors of air pollution—they absorb air and water, so contaminants can also be measured in their cells.
Tortula moss, Netherlands
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Walking among the giants
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A path to access
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It s time for spring
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Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
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Haven t you herd? It s World Elephant Day!
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Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
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Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Sami lavvu structures, Finnmark, Norway
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What s going on in this sky?
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In orbit for Yuri s Night
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Squirrel Appreciation Day
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Poinsettia Day
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The Bahamas
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
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When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia
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Step into the dark
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Work out on your way to work
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International Day of Mangrove Conservation
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Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
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I m here! Take a look at me!
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An Alpine fairy-tale castle
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Black grouses lekking
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Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
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Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
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Green sea turtle on World Oceans Day
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Everybody loves World Turtle Day
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A gentle wind fills this sail
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Night of the ‘Cold Moon’