Mosses: Warriors against global warming

Mosses are different from vascular plants. They have roots and leaves, but their roots are different, although they have growths similar to rhizoids that anchor them to the ground. The main difference with common plants is that moss does not have the pipe called xylem or phloem, through which water moves. Moss survives by collecting water from the atmosphere, and when they dry out, they curl up but never die or disintegrate, living in suspended animation forever. That is, we could say they are immortal. Despite being seen as a problem, without moss, our ecosystem would be lost. They serve as primary stabilizers when there is much disturbance and manage to add more carbon and nitrogen to the substrate. That is, when we see moss growing on the ground, it means it has a great life and is helping to prevent erosion. That is why we should not fight to eliminate it, but rather thank and support its presence, as it will be a key element in the fight against global warming. Mosses lay the groundwork for plants to flourish in ecosystems worldwide. This makes them play a super important role in mitigating climate change by capturing large amounts of carbon. Soil temperature and moisture are crucial for moss growth, so it is important to take care of their well-being.

This absorption is much greater when moss is present, with the magnitude being six times greater than the sum of emissions generated by land use, grazing, vegetation logging, and agricultural practices. It turns out that mosses are the life of the party in plant ecosystems. Plants actually find it very profitable to have mosses as neighbors. 24 ways in which moss provided benefits to the soil and other plants have been evaluated. In patches of soil where moss was present, there were more nutrient cycles, decomposition of organic matter, and even control of harmful pathogens for other plants and animals. In conclusion, it seems that moss is much more valuable than we thought!