By: Francisco Aguirre
For many years it has been common to see that a part of Christmas decorations is composed of moss, hay and other plants, but did you know that this practice is contributing to increased environmental pollution and erosion?
What are mosses?
They are plants of wide worldwide distribution that live in humid places or near water. They are among the first organisms that colonize rocks, because when they grow on them they modify their surface, forming a substrate in which other larger plants can take root.
It is common to find them as carpets in humid forests, although they also grow on the branches and trunks of all kinds of trees and are part of an extensive division of plants that cover more than 20 thousand species around the world, called biophytes (mosses, ferns, lichens, etc.).
Benefits of moss for the ecosystem
Mosses and other bryophytes play an essential role in ecosystems, because:
It is able to retain up to 20 times its weight in water, absorbing excess water while it rains and releasing it slowly in dry weather.
They intercept, absorb and retain minerals dissolved in rainwater, allowing them to be incorporated into the ecosystem and reducing their washing into rivers and seas.
Mosses provide home and protection to countless small animals, especially invertebrates such as insects, arachnids, rotifers, nematodes, mollusks and annelids.
They serve as nest building material for various birds and small mammals, such as the hummingbird or hummingbird (Sephanoidesgaleritus).
Many species of bryophytes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through colonies of bacteria, contributing greatly to the incorporation of this element into the ecosystem.
Liver mosses and plants help natural reforestation.
It has been seen that in rainforests and ecosystems dominated by Sphagnum moss, bryophyte communities act as large sponges that regulate the course of rivers, protecting the soil from violent flooding and delivering constant water during the summer months to the rivers and streams that drain them.
All this is destroyed when we use mosses as Christmas decorations!
Remember that the extraction of mosses has a strong impact on the ecosystem, as it decreases the humidity of forests, increases soil erosion and environmental pollution.
It protects mosses, hay (stick beard) and tree ferns (fern trunks). Don't pull them out. Don't sell them. Don't buy them.
Alternatives to use other Christmas decorations
Christmas decorations can be as varied as our creativity and ingenuity. Take advantage of new colors, textures and combinations to create environmentally friendly ornaments.
Among the many materials you can use is natural sawdust, sand, pebbles, painted sawdust, paper, cardboard, fabric, jute and all those materials that your imagination indicates. You can also take the opportunity to live with your children, making birth and decorations made with recycled material.
Related Posts:
- The importance of trees
- Voice of the Reader – The Importance Of Trees
- The basics to become pro-environment
- Artificial trees and their advantages for the environment
- Plastics and the environment – Plastics: what they are and what is their importance
Authors: Val
