Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Four peatlands areas were investigated in this thesis, i.e. Lommaflet and Gatmyren are
typical mires for the south-eastern Sweden, while the Linkowo and Sarbinowo mires are
characteristic for the north-western Poland. The comparison was carried out on several
levels: vascular plant flora, cryptogamic plant flora, plant communities, red-listed
species, species and plant communities valuable at the European scale, origin of peat
deposit, type of peatland, changes in the mire limits and the watershed area in the last
50 years. Factors related to changes in wetland structure and composition in time and
space were identified.
Peatlands classified during the field work fulfilled the following assumptions: the
peatlands are of a topogenic type, the area contains from 9.66 to 34.3 ha, the mires were
formed during the terrestrialisation process, and the water flushing down from the
surrounding terrain is its main source. The investigated mires were formed since the end
of the last glacial period.
The glaciation process was completed about 9-13 years ago on the terrain of the studied
areas. The Linkowo and Sarbinowo peatlands started to develop about 4 thousand years
earlier than the Lommaflyet and Gatmyren ones. The peatlands are situated in the area
covered by forests and characterised by high intensity of silvicultural treatments within
the watershed area.
During the field work carried out on four mires, 32 species of mosses, 142 vascular
plant species and 23 plant communities were investigated. The origin of the
Lommeflyet and Gatmyren mires is connected with a shallow water reservoir, while the
Linkowo and Sarbinowo ones are developed on a deep lake. The investigated mires are
in a period of transition from topogenous into ombrogenous type. The main changes
within the mire limits in the last 50 years are as follows: drainage process, increased
area of Vaccinio uliginosi–Pinetum Kleist 1930 em W. Mat. 1962 plant community and
decreased area of open bog habitats. Clear cuts are the main disturbing factor stated
during the last 50 years on mire watershed area. Drainage, past fire events, nitrogen
deposit, changes on the watershed area are the main factors determined that induced
changes in the plant cover on the peatland surface.