Chat Moss it for agriculture. About of degraded bog remain, with of undamaged peat deposits in four former peat extraction sites. The peat varies in depth between and . The main bog mosses found in the peat of Chat Moss are "Sphagnum cuspidatum", "S. imbricatum", and "S. acutifolia". The peat up to about from the surface is mainly humidified "S. acutifolia", with fresher "S. imbricatum" peat nearer the surface. A area of Chat Moss, to the north of the Liverpool–Manchester railway line, notified as Astley & Bedford Mosses, was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1989. Astley & Bedford Mosses,
Sphagnum cuspidatum branch leaves can sometimes be faintly serrated. "S. cuspidatum" is a dioecious species. The spores produced are 29-38 µm, covered with large papillae on both surfaces, and appear to be covered in small blisters (pusticulate). "S. cuspidatum" can be found on wet humus under forests and on the bases of trees forming a hummock-hollow complex; in or near bogs. Distinguishing "Sphagnum cuspidatum" from "Sphagnum viride" is sometimes difficult as both occur over a similar geographic range and both grow in wet carpets. "Sphagnum cuspidatum" has narrower branch leaves and usually a distinct red tinge at the branch bases within the