Development of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in boreal continental Canada
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Peat cores from five Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in boreal continental Canada were analyzed for plant macro fossils. Results indicate that peatland development was influenced both by local autogenic and regional climatic factors. The general direction in peatland development from rich fen to poor fen to bog can primarily be ascribed to internal processes, especially peat accumulation. Quantitative paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on fossil moss assemblages indicate that all five peatlands were initially dominated by brown mosses with inferred pHs of approximately 6.0, and a water table at 5–15 cm below the surface of the peatland. Subsequently, Sphagnum-dominated peatlands developed with pHs of 4.0–4.5 and a water table at 15–30 cm of depth. Chemical factors triggered a rapid transition from rich fen (pH > 6) to poor fen and bog (Ph < 5). The two most southerly peatlands are youngest, with basal dates of 4670 BP and 4230 BP. Sphagnum peat accumulation at these sites started at 2620 BP and 1790 BP, respectively. Two sites located at intermediate latitudes have basal dates of > 5140 BP and 5020 BP, while the development of Sphagnum-dominated ecosystems dates back to ≈ 3100 BP and 3710 BP, respectively. The most northerly site has the oldest basal date (> 7870 BP), and the oldest date for the initiation of Sphagnum peat accumulation (≈ 7000 BP). The younger age of the peat deposits in the four southern sites is due to warm and dry climatic conditions during the middle Holocene that prevented peatland development until after 6000 BP when the climate gradually became cooler and moister. Farther north the climate was cool and moist enough to allow peatland development during the early to middle Holocene. In three southern peatlands, the development into a Sphagnum-dominated ecosystem took > 2000 years, while at the more northerly sites Sphagnum became dominant after < 1500 years. Key words: Sphagnum, peatlands, boreal, Holocene, climate.Keywords:
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Sphagnetum Rankin 1911b p.p.; Sphagnum hummock complex, Sphagnum papillosum & S. rubellum phases Rose 1953; General bog communities Newbould 1960 p.p.; Valley bog Ward et al. 1972ap.p.; Sphagnum lawn bog hummocks NCC New Forest Bogs Report 1984.
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Lawn
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Essential for successful bog restoration is the reestablishment of Sphagnum mosses. High carbon dioxide availability has been shown to be of great importance for the growth of Sphagnum mosses. In well-developed Sphagnum bogs large amounts of carbon dioxide are produced by (an)aerobic decomposition of the peat layer. In cut-over Sphagnum bogs this carbon source is often greatly reduced. In this study the importance of groundwater-derived carbon dioxide is demonstrated in aquatic environments, where Sphagnum species have started to form floating mats after former cutover activities by farmers. We discuss the results of measures taken to restore one of the largest wet heathland reserves in western Europe. After rewetting, some bogs developed markedly well, whereas others did not. The developmental success of 10 small bogs was quantified by analysing aerial photographs and sampling of surface and groundwater. The analysis of the ground- and surface water samples revealed that in the well-developed bogs there were significantly higher TIC/CO2 concentrations than in poorly developed bogs. It is concluded that in the early stages of bog formation the growth of Sphagnum is better in bog systems that are fed by an inflow of carbonrich groundwater from outside the bog. The present findings suggest that high carbon dioxide availability is a prerequisite for the successful reestablishment of Sphagnum mosses in peat-bog restoration projects and that carbon-rich groundwater can substitute for the carbon dioxide from decomposing peat.
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The present study focuses on the optical properties of the peat moss species Sphagnum teres by contrasting the optical properties of a fresh and a dry moss. We examined parameters such as the reflectance of the moss capitulum, the content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, antocyanins and UV absorbents, and the photochemical efficiency of the peat moss. Reflectance and photochemical efficiency were also measured after rehydration of the dried pad. The results have shown a statistically significant difference between the optical properties of the fresh and the dry moss. The reflectance spectra of the dry peat moss pad were higher than the reflectance spectra of the fresh moss. The reflectances of the wet and dry moss were the most similar in the visible part of the spectrum, but differ in the UV and NIR ranges. No statistically significantly differences were found in the pigment content between the dry and the fresh moss. The photochemical efficiency was significantly higher in the fresh moss. It was also found that Sphagnum teres plants do not recover shortly after rehydration.
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The vertical distributions of nine Sphagnum species and four associated mosses in two bogs (Adirondack Mountains, New York) were analyzed for interspecific and interbog differences. Based on 4300 sample points, Sphagnum mean heights ranged from 12 to 43 cm above the water table and the sequence of species was similar in both bogs (S. cuspidatum and S. majus) < (S. fallax and S. angustifolium) < (S. magellanicum, S. rubellum, and S. russowii) < (S. fuscum and S. nemoreum). However, at Bloomingdale Bog, a relatively dry mire with many well-developed hummocks and narrow hollows, mosses had significantly greater means (by 4-12 cm) than at Raybrook Bog, a relatively wet mire with wide Sphagnum carpets and fewer hummocks. South- and east-facing hummock slopes tended to be gentler than the north and west slopes, but the mosses’ mean heights did not vary with aspect. The abundance of hummocks at Bloomingdale seems responsible for not only the greater mean heights, but also for broader ranges and greater vertical overlap with other species. However, the ability of each species to dominate a certain array of height classes did not differ between bogs. Within each bog, hummock species tended to have larger vertical ranges than hollow species, implying a lesser ability of hollow mosses to tolerate the full range of conditions along the hummock-hollow gradient.
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Eight Sphagnum -dominated kettle-hole bogs in northern Michigan were analyzed to elucidate vegetation patterns of both vascular plants and Sphagnum species in relation to measured bog gradients. Methods of both direct and indirect gradient analysis, including ordination and cluster analysis, were used. Community types as delineated in the ordination are discussed, including species distribution for Sphagnum and vascular plants. Segregation of community types followed gradients of pH, light, and calcium and magnesium ion concentrations. Two types of kettle-hole bogs were distinguished surrounding acid and alkaline bog lakes respectively, each with its own continuum of community types.
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On the basis of the on-the-spot investigation, this paper describes the vegetation composition, community characteristics and development tendency of Sphagnum palustre bog situated at a basin of Dajiuhu in Shennongjia, Hubei. The investigation results show:(1) the Sphagnum palustre bog has herb layer in which Juncus canciuns is the dominant species and moss layer in which Sphagnum palustre is the key species. Comparing to the investigation result in 1980s, the bog has more plant species and more nutrition-rich plant and the area of the bog decreases and Polytrichum commune hills appeared in the bog. The bog is degenerating from nutrition-poor bog to nutrition-medium bog or nutrition-rich bog.
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A minor outbreak of culture-proved cutaneous sporotrichosis occurred in three employees of a commercial nursery in eastern Minnesota. All three had known exposure to sphagnum moss used for the packing of plant roots. Sporothrix schenkii was grown from a culture of sphagnum moss used at the nursery. The supplier of the moss is located in Wisconsin.
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Sporothrix schenckii
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