Moss is clever stuff. It doesn't have proper roots and can anchor itself in a very thin soil. Therefore, it is an early coloniser of bare rock, when just an accumulation of dust as caught here by some twigs provides a sufficient purchase. Moss itself grows several cm high ( depending on species) and most significantly, traps water and decaying matter. This changes the microclimate, making it less harsh and more suitable for the succession of other species. Moss is eventually outcompeted.
Interestingly, it is not a flowering plant producing seeds, but reproduces by spore formation.
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