Mosses

Introduction

Ecological Benefits of Moss

"Moss is great at retaining water after rainfall, and when things dry out, moss provides extra moisture that it slowly releases into the ecosystem. Moss also contributes to stabilizing soil. It reduces soil erosion in areas where it grows." - National Park Service: Moss

Animals Use Moss

Very few herbivores eat moss because of the high fiber content, but "the pikas in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge rely on it for 60% of their diet" allowing them to survive in an environment with little nutritious plant life. - Science Shot: Eating Moss to Survive

Moss provides shelter and bedding for small animals such as slugs, woodlice, shrews, and mice. Birds often use soft plants including moss in their nests. Blackbirds are known to tug at moss to find the insects who live underneath.

Indicator Species

Mosses often indicate acidic soil.

Threats to Moss

Habitat Loss & Disturbance

Deforestation

Old-growth forests have much richer biodiversity of mosses, while younger, artificially planted forests are generally lacking in healthy moss communities. We can't reasonably protect moss or other species via reforesting, but curbing or even stopping deforestation entirely can help slow the extinction rate of these vulnerable plants. We can then use the remaining old-growth forests as biological "banks" to help restore lost species to rewilding/reforesting projects.

In Canada, toilet paper companies pose a particularly great risk to species including mosses due to the overharvesting of old-wood forests.

Trampling

Enjoying nature is important for our health, but foraging off path, hunting, tourism, and other activities can easily crush rare and delicate species including mosses and fireflies. 

Ways to Protect Moss

Take Extinction Off Your Plate

Deforestation-Free Food & Lifestyle Choices

Click the Deforestation button to learn which industries cause the most deforestation, and read about the many ways we can combat deforestation via every day choices.

Click the Livestock & Deforestation button to better understand the impact livestock have on our forests.

When In Nature

"Whenever possible, avoid stepping on moss or other vegetation. Instead, stay on trails or walk along durable surfaces like rocks and sand." - National Park Service: Moss

Types of Moss

There are eight scientific classes of moss:

Bryopsida

This is the largest class of mosses, containing 95% of all moss species. It consists of approximately 11,500 species, common throughout the whole world.

Bryum Moss

Cushion Moss

Feather Moss

 Fern Moss

Sheet Moss

Polytrichopsida

Common Haircap Moss

Sphagnopsida

Sphagnum and Peat moss are more-or-less the same organism, but refer to the part of the plant and it's current state. Sphagnum moss is the top, living layer of moss, while "peat" refers to the layer of decomposed moss and other plant matter which has been compressed.


Sphagnum Moss

"Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss." - Wikipedia: Sphagnum

Peat Moss

Is the decomposing layer of moss and other plant matter which is compressed in the wet underlayer. It has long been harvested and used for various purposes including (very inefficiently) as a gardening medium, which outrageously high environmental cost. Fortunately, more sustainable alternatives such as coconut choir are available and a growing number of peat harvesting and peat selling bans have been going into effect to protect the vital CO2 sinks that peat bogs represent.

Tools & Apps

Africa

Namibia

Moss as Indicator Species by Location

Use these guides to determine local environmental health with lichens. Some of these guides focus on lichens only, while others are more diverse guides that also include lichens in general, or one or more specific lichen types.

Europe

UK

Scotland

Maps

Europe

UK