Fern plants. Like all other vascular plants, the diploid sporophyte is the dominant phase or generation in the life cycle. The gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. They are free-living and resemble liverworts, whereas those of seed plants develop within the spore wall and are dependent on the parent sporophyte for their nutrition. A fern gametophyte typically consists of: Ferns first appear in the fossil record in the early Carboniferous period. By the Triassic, the first evidence of ferns related to several modern families appeared. The great fern radiation occurred in the late Cretaceous, when
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