Mosses possess both roots and leaves however, their roots differ from those of vascular plants. To put it into perspective, this is six times the annual global carbon emissions caused by changes in land use (e.g., deforestation, urbanization, mining, etc.) worldwide. In fact, mosses sequester around 6.43 billion metric tons more carbon in the soil than is stored in the bare patches of soil without any plants typically found nearby them in global semi-arid areas. Led by drylands ecologist David Eldridge of the University of New South Wales in Australia and ecosystem ecologist Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo of the Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla in Spain, the study uncovered evidence that mosses have the potential to store a massive amount of carbon in the soil beneath them.Ĭo-authors include University of Michigan forest ecologist Peter Reich, director of the Institute for Global Change Biology at the School for Environment and Sustainability. The global contribution of soil mosses to ecosystem services, DOI 10.1038/s41560-x.īut here’s an interesting finding: A recent study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that moss, those tiny plants we often see on the ground or rocks, might also be an important antidote to climate change. For instance, over its lifetime, a tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon from the air and store it in wood and roots. Plant life plays a crucial role in fighting climate change by absorbing and transforming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Image credit: University of New South Wales

Mosses play a crucial role in establishing the groundwork for the flourishing of other plant species. The presence of mosses blanketing the soil is actually a positive indication rather than a negative one.

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