Plant reproductive morphology be identical isospores or come in different sizes (microspores and megaspores), but strictly speaking, spores and sporophytes are neither male nor female because they do not produce gametes. The alternate generation, the gametophyte, produces gametes, eggs and/or sperm. A gametophyte can be monoicous (bisexual), producing both eggs and sperm or dioicous (unisexual), either female (producing eggs) or male (producing sperm). In the bryophytes (liverworts, mosses and hornworts), the sexual gametophyte is the dominant generation. In ferns and seed plants (including cycads, conifers, flowering plants, etc.) the sporophyte is the dominant generation. The obvious visible plant, whether a small herb or
Tasmanian ferns most common ferns found in Tasmania, and is found at many different habitats. This table shows that areas left un disturbed for longer periods of time are host to more species of ferns. The habitat clearfelled and burnt in 1990 has more species of fern present than areas disturbed by forestry in more recent years. Tasmania’s cool temperate rainforest are currently under threat for a variety of reasons. One of the greatest threats to rainforests is from human induced activities. Fire is one of the largest problems facing rainforests today, either from direct or accidental origin. Although fire can be