What is the significance of mosses?

Mosses are very small plants with a huge number of species. They are very common in cool places with little light and high humidity. These plants are able to retain water, thereby saturating the soil with moisture. This ability is not always beneficial. Holding large amounts of water, mosses often swamp the soil. This is especially bad for agricultural land. Some species of these plants are the source of peat formations. For the soil, mosses are also useful in that they save it from erosion.