Vascular plant and moss species across successional mire basins on the land uplift coast of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland

Succession of mire vegetation was studied in mire basins providing uniform chronosequences on the land uplift coast of the Bothnian Bay. The research was performed from transects crossing mire basins with similar hydrology in order to highlight the occurrence on different mire species in catchment areas. Material from vegetation sample plots was used, central species for each altitude belt were presented. Also the differences between the mire basins on moraine and sand were handled. On the mires under 5 m asl, the vegetation is dominated by species typical for swamps and seashores. Most Sphagnum species spread to the mire basins very quickly after the disappearance of the brackish sea-water effect. Along with the Sphagna are spreading most species typical for the mature hummock, lawn and carpet levels. The occurring of rich fen species seems to be closely connected with the groundwater discharge pattern. The study areas are situated on the coast of northern Bothnian Bay, where the developed mire systems are dominated by aapa mires. The results are compared with those from the more southern zone of bogs. The main difference seems to be the larger coverage of Sphagnum mosses even on the wetter sites on the development of bogs

Soiden eliölajit ja niiden uhanalaisuus

peerReviewe

Ojituksen vaikutus luonnon monimuotoisuuteen, ilmastoon ja vesistöihin – yhteenveto

Non peer reviewe

Soiden käyttö Suomessa

Non peer reviewe

Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services to optimize sustainable re-use for low-productive drained peatlands

LIFEPeatLandUse (LIFE12 ENV/FI/000150) 2013 – 2018, LAYMAN’S REPORT201

Kälväsvaaran suunnitellun pohjavedenoton kolmen pumppausvaihtoehdon vaikutu soiden vesioloihin ja kasvillisuuteen

monist

Ecological, topographic and successional patterns across wetlands in a rugged land uplift coast in Nyby, northern Finland

We studied 45 mid-boreal wetlands in a rugged land uplift coast with a thin cover of till. Wetlands ranged from 1 to 53 m a.s.l. and were of highly various sizes. Our aims were to examine, if vegetation types are valid in comparing wetlands, what kind of ecological major pattern the vegetation type composition of wetlands shows and how vegetation types distribute across altitudes. On those ground we discuss the wetland succession of the study area. We used the Finnish mire site types as vegetation types. Mire site types could be used for an ecological classification and ordination of the wetlands. As was expected, the major gradient consisted of the transition from mire margin (swamp) to expanse. The distribution of the Major Vegetational Wetland Groups (MVWG) responded to a general water-flow pattern in the landscape. Partly different peatland succession sequences occur in areas with small mire basins and in areas with larger mire basins with evolving mire complexes. Sequences of small wetlands and those of mire complexes follow the same trajectory only as far as the major gradient is considered while they differ with regard to the vegetation type composition of locally rare vegetation types and with regard to peatland morphology. Trajectories of mire complexes at catchment divides differ from those at catchment centers where the waters in the landscape tend to gather. Peatland forms of aapa mires experience a change reaching altitudes of 30–50 m a.s.l. Small bog complexes at catchment divides reach a stage of an unpatterned Sphagnum fuscum bog in the study area. Mature mixed complexes with aapa-mire parts and patterned sloping-bog parts only occur at altitudes higher than 60 m a.s.l. Peculiarities in the succession of the wetlands of Nyby, which include the presence of separate incomplete successional sequences in the same area, are mainly caused by the peculiar topography with various sub-areas and with an abundance of rock outcrops

Suoluontotyyppien uhanalaisuus

202