Ecological Potential of Moss Application for Soil Physicochemical Improvement in Reclaimed Coastal Lands.

Abstract

Reclaimed coastal soils often exhibit low organic matter, weak nutrient-holding capacity, and salinity-related constraints that limit vegetation establishment. This study examined whether living moss inoculation induces early physicochemical changes in the surface layer of reclaimed coastal soil under controlled conditions from Taean, South Korea. The work comprised baseline site characterization followed by a 4-week controlled pot experiment using three moss species (Hypnum plumaeforme, Ceratodon purpureus, and Racomitrium lanuginosum). Moss inoculum was prepared from propagated vegetative material with visibly green tissues and applied as a slurry at 10 g fresh moss per pot (1:50 w/w). The independent variable was moss treatment, and the dependent variables were qualitative establishment and post-incubation soil chemical properties. Five independent pots were used per treatment. Visible establishment occurred within approximately 2 weeks in all moss-treated pots. Across treatments, soil pH decreased, whereas available phosphate (AP), organic matter (OM), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased relative to the untreated control. These findings indicate that living moss inoculation can alter fertility-related properties of reclaimed coastal soil under controlled conditions. Because the experiment was short-term, pot-based, and did not quantify moss growth, the results should be interpreted as a preliminary proof-of-concept rather than direct evidence of field-scale restoration.