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Vegetation-Environment Relationships in Peatlands Dominated by Sphagnum fallax in Western Poland

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Abstract

We investigated species composition and relative abundance of Sphagnum fallax dominated peatlands in relation to measured environmental variables on the basis of 26 sites in the Wielkopolska region. Most studied plots were characterized by soft waters, poor in Ca2+ but rich in nutrients, especially N-NH4 + and P-PO4 3-, with high electrolytic conductivity and high DOC (dissolved organic carbon) concentration. Six of the 19 measured variables of surface water chemistry (DOC, pH, SO4 2-, P-PO4 3-, Na+ and Ca2+) significantly explained 23% of the variation in floristic composition. In 65 vegetation plots, 107 species were observed. Cluster analysis revealed four types of vegetation in the studied mires. Sphagnum fallax was the most abundant species and formed plant communities in a wide range of habitats: in floating mats, with the plants usually adjoining the mineral basin edge (e.g. E. vaginatum, Andromeda polifolia and Ledum palustre) as well as it occupied central parts of Sphagnum lawn (e.g. Eriophorum angustifolium) and rich fen habitats (e.g. Carex rostrata or Phragmites australis). In Wielkopolska terrestrializating peatlands, four variables determine the poor-rich gradient: conductivity, DOC, SiO2 dissolved, Ca2+ and alkalinity. This study provides new data on the ecology and typology of Sphagnum peatlands in western Poland.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (No. 6PO4F 03729). The work of Mariusz Lamentowicz was additionally supported by a grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (No. 2P04G 03228). We thank Dr. Barbara Fojcik (University of Silesia) for her help in identifying mosses. Three anonymous reviewers and Dr. Radim Hédl are acknowledged for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61–614, Poznań, Poland

    Maciej Gąbka

  2. Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61–680, Poznań, Poland

    Mariusz Lamentowicz

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  1. Maciej Gąbka
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  2. Mariusz Lamentowicz
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Correspondence to Maciej Gąbka.

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Plant nomenclature Mirek et al. (2002) for vascular plants, Ochyra et al. (2003) for mosses

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Table 3 Pearson correlation coefficients between water chemistry
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Gąbka, M., Lamentowicz, M. Vegetation-Environment Relationships in Peatlands Dominated by Sphagnum fallax in Western Poland. Folia Geobot 43, 413–429 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-008-9023-8

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