The bryophyte cover on Roraima serves several functions that are not immediately obvious.

It traps mineral particles and organic debris that blow across the summit surface, gradually building the thin substrate in which other plants can establish.

It holds water, creating small reservoirs of moisture that would otherwise run off the impermeable rock surface.

It provides habitat for the small invertebrates — springtails, mites, tiny worms — that are part of the summit food web.

Bryophytes are also among the slowest-recovering organisms on the Roraima summit after disturbance.