Species composition and habitat ecology of sphagna: inventory and monitoring programme on the carbon polygon “Rossyanka” (Kaliningrad region, Russia)
- Pages
- 73-87
Abstract
The article provides data on the present-day species composition of Sphagna in the Wittgirrensky peatland (the territory of the Carbon Polygon “Rossyanka”, Slavsk District, Kaliningrad Region). The authors found 8 species of Sphagnum mostly growing in hydrophilic habitats at the bottom of drainage ditches and flooded depressions on the outskirts of the peatland, while the major part of the peatland shows unfavorable environmental conditions for the development of Sphagnum. The situation may well be changed via implementation of the rewetting project. In this case, the species of Sphagna become a significant bioindicator for environmental monitoring in the whole ecosystem. The hydrophilic habitats might be considered as shelters (refugia) for Sphagna as well as important study objects for investigation of Green House Gas emission/sequestration within the Carbon Polygon Programme.