Viability of Living Moss for Indoor Green Walls: A Study on Temperature, Humidity, and Irrigation

Harald G. Zechmeister (), Leonie Möslinger, Azra Korjenic (), Erich Streit, Abdulah Sulejmanovski, Patrick Niklas Frank and Esther Hummel
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Harald G. Zechmeister: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Leonie Möslinger: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil- and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/207-3, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Azra Korjenic: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil- and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/207-3, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Erich Streit: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil- and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/207-3, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Abdulah Sulejmanovski: Research Unit of Ecological Building Technologies, Institute of Material Technology, Building Physics and Building Ecology, Faculty of Civil- and Environmental Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/207-3, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Patrick Niklas Frank: Eiria GmbH, 1020 Vienna, Austria
Esther Hummel: Eiria GmbH, 1020 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: There is an increasing demand for green plant walls in indoor environments because of their multifaced benefits, such as aesthetic appeal, indoor air quality improvement, or psychological well-being. Mosses are believed to be excellent for these walls due to their easy application and maintenance. However, so far there is no evidence for their indoor survival. In this study, we tested the moss species Hypnum cupressiforme , Bryachythecium rutabulum , Eurrhynchium angustirete , Thuidium tamariscinum , Streblotrichum convolutum , Syntrichia ruralis , and Ceratodon purpureus for indoor use in living moss walls. We evaluated their vitality through the monitoring of leaf coloration over a twelve month period, subjecting them to varying temperature ranges (14–20 °C), humidity levels (60–100%), and diverse irrigation methods (drip and spray irrigation, 300–1500 mL per day) within controlled climate chambers. Depending on the combination of these variables, mosses survived up to six months. Hypnum cupressiforme and Ceratodon purpureus performed best. However, as the time span of survival was limited, the use of living mosses for indoor purposes at the current stage cannot be recommended. An additional problem is that the requisition of living material such as in the culturing of moss under horticultural conditions is difficult and harvesting from natural environments is detrimental to most habitats.

Keywords: indoor greening; moss wall; living moss; irrigation systems; climate chambers; light systems; monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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