‘Superhero’ moss can save communities from flooding, say scientists

Researchers found that sphagnum moss reduced peak streamflow – the maximum amount of water that enters a river after a storm – by 65%. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

A “superhero” moss can significantly reduce the risk and severity of flooding for communities living in downstream areas, researchers have found.

Scientists from the conservation group Moors for the Future Partnership who conducted a six-year study into sphagnum moss found that planting it in upland areas could dramatically slow the rate at which water runs off the hillsides, preventing river catchments being inundated with water downstream.