Sphagnum moss

Abstract

Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum species) has been used for thousands of years. Throughout history its uses have ranged from medicinal to clothing to food. This diversity is in most part due to its special properties; of being able to absorb up to twenty times its dry weight in water (Fleet 1986).

Sphagnum's wound healing qualities were recognised as early as the Bronze Age. Shortages created by wars through the ages contributed to the increased use of sphagnum as a wound dressing. Over the years, other uses have included; - incontinence pads and nappies, - pillows and mattresses, - insulation for both houses and footwear, - medicinal properties that help in the healing of eczema and haemorrhoids - amongst other illness, - as an antiseptic, - stable litter and - packing of live fish and crockery. (Denne 1983).

It would seem that uses are limited only by the imagination.

Today sphagnum is mainly used in horticulture. Exploiting its water holding capacity, it is found lining hanging baskets and even replacing soil in some instances; packaging around roots, germinating seeds and a variety of ornamental uses.

The sphagnum moss industry on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island has expanded rapidly in the last fifteen years. The industry, like many others on the West Coast, is resource based. Little is known about the growth of sphagnum and its rate of regeneration. Consequently, a realistic sustainable yield is unknown. There is a history of boom and bust industries on the West Coast and it is thought the process may be repeated with sphagnum unless steps are taken to prevent exploitation of the resource.

The purpose of this dissertation is threefold. The first is to study and describe sphagnum moss as a resource. This necessitates an understanding of its biology and ecology. To complement secondary information gained through written articles, primary data was collected from vegetation surveys on three sites. One site had never been harvested. The other two were harvested one month and six months previously. This gave the opportunity to investigate first hand some of the different habitats of sphagnum moss. It also provided the opportunity to observe rates of regeneration following a variety of harvesting methods.

The second purpose of this study is to look at the sphagnum industry on the West Coast. The future of the industry depends on two factors; the future demand by overseas markets and continued availability of sphagnum in New Zealand.

Finally, this dissertation makes a preliminary study of the growth of sphagnum moss. Experimental work was carried out in controlled laboratory conditions, which involved looking at a number of variables that may or may not effect the growth of sphagnum moss.