The Moss in Your Christmas Decorations Could Be Storing DNA From Rare Species
It’s that time of the year when cozy, rustic wreaths and centerpieces adorn our homes. But the tufts of moss tucked into these decorations aren’t just decorative greenery. According to new research, it may be holding microscopic traces of foxes, badgers, birds, and even rare species you’ve never seen.
A study published in Molecular Ecology Resources shows that moss functions as a remarkably effective natural collector of environmental DNA (eDNA) — the genetic fragments that animals, plants, and microorganisms constantly shed into their surroundings.
At a time when biodiversity loss and climate change are accelerating, this humble plant could become a powerful new tool for tracking life on Earth.
Read More: Navigating the Waters: The Potential Benefits and Side Effects of Sea Moss
What Did Scientists Find Hidden Inside Moss?
Kasun Bodawatta sampling moss in Lille Vildmose, Denmark
(Image Credit: Timothy Cutajar)
When researchers analyzed tiny moss samples from the Lille Vildmose nature reserve in Denmark, the results were surprising. From patches measuring just 2×2 inches, they identified 13 bird species, 11 mammal species, and 2 amphibian species. The moss also revealed a teeming microscopic world, including 54 invertebrates, 21 plant species, 553 bacterial genera, and 210 fungal genera.
Among the detected animals were species like bison and badgers, which shows that moss doesn’t just collect DNA from the most common animals in the landscape.
As senior author Kasum Bodawatta explained in a press release, “by simply swabbing the surface of tiny pieces of moss with a cotton bud, we were able to detect wild, local animals like bison and badgers — and not just pig DNA, which is spread across much of the Danish landscape. This shows the great potential moss has for monitoring natural biodiversity.”
Researchers also discovered that moss captures DNA drifting through the air, not just from animals that physically touch it. Ivory Coast moss samples even contained DNA from a rare bird species no longer present in the area, suggesting that moss can preserve genetic signals for surprisingly long periods.
How an Accidental Fall Sparked This Discovery
The idea that moss could store animal DNA came about by accident.
“I was doing fieldwork on the Danish island of Christiansø when I tripped and fell on a patch of soft moss. And then I thought: Hey, it’s just like a sponge. Maybe moss works like sponges that absorb environmental DNA, just as sea sponges can be used to collect DNA in marine ecosystems,” said Bodawatta.
To test that hunch, Bodawatta and a team of researchers used a simple cotton swab to gently collect material from the moss surface — no digging, cutting, or complex equipment required. They repeated the process in different environments, including savannah and forest habitats in Ivory Coast, with similar successful results.
Why Moss-Based DNA Sampling Is a Game Changer
Collecting eDNA is already common in aquatic ecosystems, but on land, it has been harder to find methods that are cheap and non-destructive. Using moss checks all of those boxes.
“The special thing about moss is that it is found on almost every continent, and, unlike most other methods, the cotton swab approach requires no electricity, expensive equipment, or specialized fieldwork. In principle, you can go for a walk in the forest, swab a handful of moss and get a biological fingerprint of the area,” said co-author Kathrin Rousk.
Because of its simplicity, the technique is also ideal for citizen science, opening the door for large-scale biodiversity monitoring.
“The fascinating thing is that something as simple as moss — something we hardly notice — can tell us so much about the nature around us. We still need to refine the technique, but moss is extremely promising as a way to monitor animal and plant life around the world,” concluded Bodawatta.
Read More: Revived 40,000-Year-Old Microbes in the Arctic Could Release Greenhouse Gases
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