India's first moss garden was developed in which state?

India's first moss garden was developed at Khurpatal in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, by the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department. It was opened to the public in 2020 (in June or July, around World Environment Day).

About the moss garden:

• It covers an area of about 10 hectares.
• It has around 30 different species of moss, along with about 40 other species of bryophytes, ferns and lichens.
• It includes a "moss trail" of about 1.2 km, along which signboards explain the importance of mosses.
• Some of the mosses found there are rare, and some are listed as threatened.
• It also has a "Dinosaur model" and information about the evolution of plants, since mosses are among the oldest land plants.
• What are mosses?

Mosses are small, non-flowering plants that belong to the group called bryophytes, along with liverworts and hornworts. Bryophytes are called the "amphibians of the plant kingdom" because they live on land but need water for reproduction (their male cells swim to the female cells). They have no true roots, stems or leaves and do not have a vascular system (xylem and phloem). They reproduce by spores.

Ecological importance of mosses:

• They help form soil by breaking down rocks, and they are often among the first plants to grow on bare rock (pioneer species).
• They hold water like a sponge, prevent soil erosion and help maintain moisture in forests.
• They provide shelter for small insects and animals.
• Sphagnum moss (peat moss) forms peat bogs, which store large amounts of carbon.
• The Uttarakhand Forest Department's research wing has also set up other "firsts", such as India's first cryptogamic garden at Deoban (Chakrata) in Dehradun district, and gardens of lichens and ferns.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Kerala have rich bryophyte flora but not the first moss garden.