Topic analysis

Killer fungus could be good news for habitats decimated by invasive moss

A newly discovered, previously unknown fungus species named moss die-back has been found in the UK, where it targets the invasive heath-star moss that has displaced native moss populations and degraded critical habitats including heathlands, temperate rainforests, and carbon-storing peatlands since the 1940s. Early research indicates the fungus only harms the invasive moss and a small number of closely related species, offering a promising natural biological control tool to support restoration of depleted UK ecosystems.