Soil and Water Conservation of Five Mosses in the Naigu Stone Forest of Yunnan Province

Soil and water conservation of five mosses were investigated in Naigu Stone Forest of Yunnan province.The five highest frequency mosses were Taxiphyllum taxirameum (Mitt.) Fleisch., Brachythecium albicans (Hedw.) B.S.G., Anomodon minor subsp.integerrimus (Mitt.) Iwats., Lindbergia sinensis (C.Muell.) Broth.and Homaliadelphus targionianus (Mitt.) Dix.et P.Varde.Determination of biomass, pedogenesis quantity, saturated water adsorption rate and quantity of the five mosses showed that the average biomass ranged from 24.31 g/m² to 103.78 g/m², average saturated water adsorption rate ranged from 818.24% to 1462.02% (highest of 1659.27%), average saturated water adsorption quantity ranged from 216.92 g/m² to 791.80 g/m² (highest of 1790.28 g/m²) average pedogenesis ranged from 47.32% to 111.58% (highest of 194.82%), and average pedogenesis quantity ranged from 9.01 g/m² to 46.73 g/m² (highest of 110.17 g/m²).Experiments showed that the average saturated water adsorption quantity and average biomass of Anomodon minor subsp.integerrimus were greatest, 791.80 g/m² and 103.78 g/m², respectively.Anomodon minor subsp. integerrimus exhibited the most significant correlation with soil water retention.Dry weight and fresh weight, biomass and dry weight, biomass and saturated water adsorption quantity, biomass and pedogenesis quantity, saturated water adsorption and pedogenesis quantity showed positive correlations.Therefore, the results indicated that the mosses had high ability to absorb and reserve water.The mosses showed a remarkable effect on pedogenesis, which is significant for landscape diversity and soil and water conservation in stone karst regions.