Sphagnum magellanicum

Sphagnum magellanicum

Sphagnum magellanicum is a cosmopolitan moss species growing in mires of Patagonia. It is the main botanical component of raised bogs, sloping bogs and flow-through bogs, forming also terrestrialization bogs together with the cushion plants Astelia pumila and Donatia fascicularis.

It is a key species for the accumulation of peat. Currently it is object of massive extraction for the use in horticulture and for the production of orchids. Its extraction is mostly realized without management plans, threatening the existence of Sphagnum dominated mires. For that reason, the individuals used for the elaboration of HumedArte pieces have been collected in minimal quantities in sites where massive extraction of Sphagnum moses is absent, in order to not disturb the ecosystem.