Peat moss is called swamp or sphagnum moss. The taxonomy of its species remains a controversial issue, as botanists have completely different points of view. Varying from pale green to deep red, these plants can reach a height of 30 cm. They form dense stands around ponds, in marshes, on wet, acidic rocks, and on lakes from tropical to sub-polar regions.
Peat moss (Sphagnum flexuosum)
Moss leaves, roots and stems contain many interconnected, enlarged dead cells with external holes through which water can enter. As it dries, the plant shrinks, creating internal pressure that releases the spores, throwing them up to 10 cm from the plant. The metabolic processes of peat moss growth cause an increase in the acidity of the surrounding water, which reduces bacterial action and prevents decay.
Compression and chemical breakdown of dead plants and other plant debris cause the formation of organic matter, which is called peat moss. It is harvested and dried to be used as fuel. Dried peat moss has previously been used for surgical dressings, diapers, lamp wicks, bedding and bedding materials.
Use
Today, moss is commonly used as a packaging material by florists and as a soil fertilizer by gardeners who appreciate its ability to increase soil moisture, porosity and acidity.
Peat mosses are valuable in erosion control, and properly drained peat bogs provide useful agricultural land.
Natural soil conditioner
Cuckoo flax, sphagnum, male shield moss and liver moss are called peat moss. This plant has the ability to retain up to 20 times its own weight in moisture and slowly release water to surrounding plants that need it. As peat moss grows, its roots expand and it can aerate soils and clay.
When the spores enter moisture-rich soil, sphagnum moss begins to grow under the forest cover as well. In this place, as a rule, the soil gradually begins to become waterlogged. Sphagnum, along with retaining water, will retain nutrients in the soillonger, slowly washing them out over time.
This plant has an odd advantage over other landscaping materials in its ability to filter septic waste. That is, it destroys waste and purifies water.
What is called peat moss?
This is a dead fibrous material that forms when mosses and other living materials decompose in peat bogs. The difference between peat moss and backyard garden compost is that peat moss is mainly composed of moss, and decomposition takes place without the presence of air, slowing down the rate of decomposition.
Peat moss takes several millennia to form, and peat bogs receive more than one millimeter each year. Because the process is so slow, peat moss is not considered a renewable resource.
This plant does not contain harmful micro-organisms or weed seeds found in poorly managed compost. Peat moss is an important component of most potting soils and seed sowing media.
Sphagnum is called peat moss because most of the dead material in the swamp comes from the sphagnum moss that has grown over it. Do not confuse sphagnum peat moss with sphagnum moss, which is made up of long, fibrous strands of plant material often used by florists.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
Peat moss is a plant that has its own distinctivetraits compared to other species. It has its own unique structure, color, shape of branches and leaves, as well as the shape of green cells. All of these characteristics are used to identify peat moss.
The phylogenetic distance is relatively short, and molecular dating methods suggest that almost all extant Sphagnum species are due to exposure to radiation that took place about 14 million years ago.
Geographic distribution
Sphagnum mosses are found in the Northern Hemisphere in peat bogs, coniferous forests and humid areas of the tundra. Their northernmost populations lie in the Svalbard archipelago (Arctic Norway) at 81° north latitude. In the southern hemisphere, the largest peatlands are found in southern Chile and Argentina, as well as New Zealand, Tasmania and mountainous, subtropical Brazil.
Spreading disputes
As with many other mosses, Sphagnum species disperse their spores into the wind. The tops of the spore capsules are only 1 cm above the ground. As the globular spore capsule dries out, the porch is forced out and then the spore cloud appears. The latter are extremely important for the creation of new populations in disturbed habitats and on islands.
Using peat moss
Decomposed, dried sphagnum is called peat moss. It is used as a soil conditioner which increases its water and nutrient retention capacity by increasing capillarystrength and cation exchange capacity. This can be useful when dealing with very sandy soil or plants that need increased or stable moisture content. Dried sphagnum moss is also used as an insulating material in the northern regions of the Arctic.
Anaerobic acid sphagnum bogs have low decay rates and therefore retain plant fragments and pollen to allow reconstruction of past environments. They can even preserve human bodies for thousands of years. Such swamps can also retain hair and clothing, however, due to the acidity of the peat, the bones dissolve. At one time, these swamps were even used to preserve food.
Sphagnum moss has also been used for centuries as a wound dressing, including during the First World War. Because this substance is absorbent and highly acidic, it inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi. Peat moss is used to dispose of treated liquid in areas where there are no proper conditions for conventional means of disposal. It is also used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine in swimming pool sanitation (inhibits microbial growth and reduces the need for chlorine).
Sphagnum, cuckoo flax and all other types of green and white peat mosses are more complex than algae. Mosses have stems and leaves, which neither algae nor fungi have. They do not have real roots, in green mosses they are replaced by rhizoids. They reproduce by spores. Following lichens, mosses settle where they do not grow.no other plants.
