Importance of moss

Expert: Moss plays important role in flood prevention
By ROYCE CHEAH
Monday July 23, 2007

PETALING JAYA: You may not pay much attention to it at all, but the diminutive moss plays an important role in retaining water in catchment areas.

This comes as a significant discovery to researchers in the field of bryology (the study of bryophytes - commonly known as mosses) especially since it has always been assumed that trees were more important in slowing water from running off when it rains, which in turn helps to prevent floods.

According to research carried out in Genting Highlands, just one square metre (2-3cm thick) of a particular moss found there can store one metric tonne of water for a week.

Prof Mohamed Abdul Majid from the Universiti Malaya Biological Science Institute said the destruction of forests also meant that the moss growing on branches would be destroyed.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of the five-day World Conference of Bryology here, Prof Mohamed said there were numerous other uses for mosses that were only now being explored.

"The ability to easily manipulate the genes of a moss to 'tell it what to do' has yielded many promising results," he said.

He added that Mount Kinabalu, in Sabah, probably contained the most diverse number of mosses in the world with more than 1,000 species present.

International Association of Bryologists president Prof Janice M. Glime said mosses have been found to contain anti-cancer and anti-bacterial properties.

Prof Mohamed added that one of the mosses which had anti-cancer properties was found in Cameron Highlands by world-renowned researcher Y. Asakawa from the Tokushima Bunri University in Japan.

"This is why it is important to research it. It is a largely untapped field and we still don't know enough about mosses and its potential in medicine," Prof Janice said.

She added that some countries have used mosses for insulation, air-conditioning or purely aesthetic purposes.

Prof Janice noted that in Australia and parts of America, the use of mosses in horticulture or to provide fuel has depleted the amount present in forests prompting the need for harvesting guidelines. -- The Star.