This thesis investigates early moss establishment on rehabilitated mining surfaces in Svappavaara, where LKAB has established a geomorphologically designed test area to evaluate alternative methods for the restoration of mining-impacted landscapes. The study focuses on moss cover as an indicator of early ecological development and compares surfaces with different designs and treatments. The study was conducted as a field-based comparative study comprising six test surfaces and 16 sampling points, where moss occurrence as well as local soil and terrain conditions were documented. The results show that moss cover varied between the test surfaces and that moss-primer-treated surfaces had a higher weighted cover than control surfaces, approximately 68% compared with 31%. However, the differences cannot be attributed solely to treatment, as local soil and terrain conditions may also have influenced establishment. The results suggest that moss cover may be a relevant indicator of early ecological development on rehabilitated mining surfaces, but longer-term monitoring is required to assess the long-term restoration effect.