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Soil mosses provide critical ecosystem services across the globe

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Field studies reveal that carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition and soil-borne plant pathogen control are greater in soils beneath mosses than in unvegetated soils. Based on these studies, modelling shows the likely extent of soil moss cover and underlines its value to the planet.

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Fig. 1: Predicted distribution of total moss cover in ecosystems across the globe.

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This is a summary of: Eldridge, D. J. et al. The global contribution of soil mosses to ecosystem services. Nat. Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01170-x (2023).

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Soil mosses provide critical ecosystem services across the globe. Nat. Geosci. 16, 395–396 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01171-w

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