The Cibodas Moss Park is the first and biggest outdoor moss park
in the world. Actually Germany and Singapore also have moss parks but
they are indoors, and contain only seven species, while one in Japan has only
10 species, but these park are an indoor moss park.
Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, because of the
approximately 3,000 species of moss in the world are in Indonesia. "Of
that number, about 250 of them are found in Cibodas Moss Park.
The Cibodas Moss Park, is part of the Cibodas BotanicalGarden in Pacet subdistrict, Cianjur regency, West Java.
Cibodas Moss Park has
1,500-m2 area, which will be
expanded to 2,500 m2, will be the biggest outdoor moss park in the world, So
that Indonesia will be known as a
country which is serious in plant conservation.
Mosses can grow in environments from sea level to mountain
tops. Some mosses can grow 30 meters deep in lakes and streams, while others
grow on exposed rocks, rotting wood or even on animal carcasses.
Some grow in thermal regions on soils hotter than 50 degrees
Celsius, and some in very dry environments.
Some of the benefits of moss are that moss maintains
humidity of the air and land porosity, and is helps to retain water.
A moss of the Spaghnum taxon is known to replace cotton, and
could heal skin and eye diseases, and serve as a means for the growth of
orchids. Marchantia mosses are used to treat hepatitis.
Many of international moss experts visited the this Cibodas
moss park every years. So that, foreign researchers will encourage experts at
their country to study more about mosses.
Its strategic location makes it very easy for visitors to
see it, because the moss park is only 600 meters away from the Cibodas
Botanical Garden entrance.
Besides, as it is located in a tropical region surrounded by
mountains, the air around it remains humid, unlike those in other countries
like Germany, Singapore and Japan.
The location of this park is in Cibodas Botanical Garden on
the slope of Gede Pangrango Mountain at Cimacan village, Pacet, Cianjur, West
Java. The elevation of the garden is 1275 meters above sea level and the
temperature is 17 – 27 Celsius. The distance is about 85 km from Jakarta. It is
about 1 Hours by car via toll road from Soekarno Hatta Airport to
Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur.
Many hotels are located near location, staying in hotels
near the Puncak is a good choice, becouse the air temperatur around is so cool
and not so far from the location. But stay at hotel in Bogor is not a bad idea.