Sphagnum also been used to preserve food. Up to 2000-year-old containers of butter or lard have been found. "Sphagnum" moss has also been used for centuries as a dressing for wounds, including through World War I. Since it is absorptive and extremely acidic, it inhibits growth of bacteria and fungi, so it is used for shipping seeds and live plants. Peat moss is used to dispose of the clarified liquid output (effluent) from septic tanks in areas that lack the proper conditions for ordinary disposal means. It is also used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine in swimming pool sanitation.
Sphagnum fuscum a short stalk of around 1-2mm, with a brown capsule of about 1-1.5mm. "Sphagnum fuscum" prefers older, drier bogs to inhabit and will formulate hummocks in such conditions. In bogs dominated by black spruce, "S. fuscum" will form extensive ground cover. On average, "S. fuscum" inhabits more acidic soils with pH ranging from 3.6-7.5, and is also able to colonize at high elevations. The moss is circumpolar. "Sphagnum fuscum" faces endangerment across much of the globe. Due to reductions in wetlands and development of these areas, the moss is referred to as “high risk” in Germany, while being on several