The contribution and responses of mosses to the global carbon cycle.

Abstract

The colonization of land by plants reshaped the global carbon cycle, with distinct functional contributions from different lineages. Mosses, a diverse group of nonvascular plants, inhabit environments ranging from arid rock surfaces to high-latitude peatlands and possess traits that strongly influence the global carbon cycle. Although small in stature, mosses frequently dominate primary production at higher latitudes and contribute to long-term carbon storage in peatland and tundra ecosystems. Emerging evidence indicates that moss physiological responses to elevated CO₂ and changing climate conditions may alter ecosystem carbon balance in ways not currently captured by Earth system models. This review discusses the moss lifestyle, their historical and current influence on the carbon cycle, and their responses to elevated CO₂ levels.