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![]() ForestHarvest: non-timber forest products in Scotland PRODUCTS |
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PRODUCTS | PRODUCTS DIRECTORY | SPECIES DIRECTORY | RECIPES |
Mosses (various species of moss)DescriptionSmall clumping plants producing characteristic spore capsules. There are a great many different species in Scotland. HabitatOn trees and on the ground in most woodlands. Forestry plantations can be managed for moss productivity by thinning and 'brashing', which allows more light to reach the forest floor. UsesSome mosses are gathered commercially from Scottish woodlands for the horticultural trade (hanging baskets) and for floristry (wreaths). These include Sphagnum, Pleurozium and Polytrichum species. Mosses for the most part taste awful and are avoided by both animals and humans, though the Chinese have used some mosses as famine food. Sphagnum moss has some history of food and other uses. GatheringMosses should only be gathered with the landowner's permission, and in a sustainable manner. Don't strip an area bare. Mossing usually takes place in the winter. The sustainability of moss harvesting depends on where and how it is gathered. Current thinking is that moss gathered from conifer plantations is potentially a sustainable NTFP: moss gathered from peat bogs is unsustainable, as it damages endangered habitat. It is illegal to gather any of the 28 species of moss listed in Schedule 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981)
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![]() Image provided by William Milliken/RBGE Other informationA personal account of moss and foliage collecting (from Wales) |
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SPECIES DIRECTORY |