A new 'killer fungus' has arrived in the UK, but it poses no threat to humans. Instead, scientists hope it will help restore natural habitats by targeting an invasive moss species.
The fungus, known as moss die-back, infects heath-star moss, an aggressive invasive species that smothers native plants. Discovered four years ago by Dr. George Greiff at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, the fungus may be a rare example of the British environment fighting back, according to Greiff.
Heath-star moss is one of the most aggressive plant species in the UK, thriving on hillsides, garden fences, and even tarmac. It arrived in the mid-20th century and spread rapidly by the 1990s, outcompeting native mosses and causing local extinctions in some heathlands.
The new fungus creates patches of death in the invader, offering a natural control method. Greiff, who discovered the fungus while working at the Amgueddfa Cymru museum in Wales, noted that manual removal is resource-intensive and expensive. Having a natural biological control agent is valuable.
The fungus grows inside and on the surface of the moss, killing it from within. It spreads in circular patterns, leaving brown rings of dead moss. Greiff has tracked these rings across England and Wales. The fungus was formally identified as a new species at the end of last year after DNA analysis.
Scientists in the UK and France independently found the fungus and realized they were studying the same species after comparing notes online. The fungus is most active in winter, when white powdery clusters appear on dying moss tips.
So far, the fungus has been found at over a dozen sites in England, as well as in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, suggesting it is more widespread than previously thought. Dr. Nathan Smith, also from the museum in Wales, said the fungus offers an opportunity to save unique moss landscapes that are homes for insects, fungi, molluscs, and other plants, preserving their uniqueness and beauty.
