LISTEN (Northern Public Radio) Bogs sink carbon dioxide 'like no ecosystem on Earth,' but many are at risk of being drained

Bog ecosystems are some of the most efficient carbon-storage ecosystems in the world. They cover just 3% of the earth’s surface, yet hold up to 30% of global carbon. The bog’s keystone species, sphagnum moss, plays a key role in its storage capacity. Sphagnum acts like a sponge — it holds up to 20 times its weight in water.

Scientists think sphagnum moss may hold important lessons about carbon dioxide sequestration, but there’s much they don’t know.

Sona Pandey, PhD, Member and Principal Investigator at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis is part of a team researching sequestration and bogs.

“The first time I saw a peat moss under the microscope I just literally fell in love with it,” Pandey said. “That's the only way to describe it. It’s beautiful to look at.”

Pandey’s research team is growing moss in a lab, studying its DNA, and trying to figure out how it is threatened by climate change — and how it could be a solution.

Listen to the full interview below.