Learning the language of moss
The enchanting and confusing world of moss
As a trainee ecologist with a particular interest in plants, the process of gradually increasing my catalogue of identifiable species is extremely rewarding. Rewarding, but daunting. When you kneel down in a meadow or a bog and look closely at the plants there, you may conclude that there are immense and complex worlds beneath our feet that we rarely acknowledge. From vastly varied wild flowers to the ubiquitous and subtly distinct grasses and sedges, there is so much to learn, and it really can feel quite overwhelming. But the greatest challenge for me so far comes from bryophytes, and specifically mosses.
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Being based in Ireland, I frequently find myself crouching in a bog, scratching my head as I survey assemblages of moss. Red, yellow and green in colour and sometimes a combination. At first glance, they can seem to be recognisable, then on closer inspection you will find they are anything but. Indeed, in some cases a magnifying glass is required to properly pinpoint the species of interest. To make things worse, the literature on the subject is often as opaque as an encounter with the mosses themselves! On these occasions as I stare, perplexed at the miniature world below, it can feel as though I'm having a conversation with the enigmatic mosses in an attempt to get to know them.
As a beginner in this field who is fascinated by these extraordinarily important plants, I want to lay out the basics in this place as I discover them, in a way that is accessible to other novices: students, gardeners, hobbyists - anyone with an interest! There are brilliant resources available online, but their language and format can be dense and difficult to follow. What’s more, the mosses themselves rarely have common names, making ID memorisation more difficult... But it does sound impressive when you start rhyming off nine syllable names in Latin!
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I intend on populating this website with mosses as I encounter them, and present the information clearly and as accurately as my novice understanding allows. There are much more comprehensive databases, although I hope this one fills up in time. I simply want this to be useful as a quick and easy starting point for those to whom mosses are a mystery.
If you need more detail to identify your moss, I recommend this website:
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I have also extensively used, "Collins Photo Guide: Ferns, Mosses & Lichens of Britain" to aid in my creation of this website.
The importance of moss in Ireland
Mosses are important for our whole planet. Sphagnum mosses form one of the fundamental building blocks of blanket and raised bogs. The carbon sequestration provided by these bogs is essential for controlling climate change on an international level! For this and other reasons, bogs must be protected, and to do that: moss should be understood by as many people as possible!
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Mosses hold water like a sponge, keeping soil moist and preventing flooding by slowly releasing water back into the environment.
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When moss grows on bare rock and on logs, it traps dust and other organic debris, forming soil which can turn barren land into fertile earth.
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Mosses are important for environmental health! They absorb airborne pollutants and carbon dioxide, acting as natural air filters.
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They quickly colonise disturbed sites, creating habitats for invertebrates and birds.
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Peat mosses allow for the formation of bogs and store enormous amounts of carbon.
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The global importance of bogs cannot be stressed enough!
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They are one of the most effective natural carbon sinks, locking carbon in their peat and preventing it from entering the atmosphere.
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Protected waders like curlews frequently use bogs as foraging and breeding areas. Other unique and fascinating protected species like carnivorous sundews rely on bog as their habitat.
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Bogs filter water, removing impurities as it flows through peat layers, keeping nearby rivers and lakes clean.
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By regulating water flow and carbon storage, bogs help stabilise local climates, reducing the impact of droughts and floods.
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The tragedy of bogs in Ireland is that they have been destroyed on a massive scale over a matter of decades. How quickly can we undo this damage, you ask? Bogs take millennia to form, so the ones that we still have need to be protected!
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Roundleaf sundew nestled amidst mosses