Sphagnum mosses of the Male Polissya (Lviv region)

Abstract

The article summarizes current data about the condition and spread of Sphagnum mosses on the territory of Male Polissya in Lviv Region based on the material from our own field research, materials of National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW), the Herbarium National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sci­ences of Ukraine (LWS) and literature data. An annotated list of the species of the genus Sphagnum was compiled and it includes 15 species together with an indication of place and date of collection, the names of collectors, the spread in Ukraine and biotopes in which the species may occur according to The National Habitat Catalogue of Ukraine and EUNIS. Sphagnum fallax (Klinggr.) Klinggr., S. fimbriatum Wils. and S. palustre L. were determined as the most widespread species of the genus Sphagnum in the research area. Two species S. angustifolium and S. inundatum are indicated for the first time for the territory of Lviv region. Six regionally rare species were found: S. capillifolium, S. cuspidаtum, S. fаllax, S. fimbriаtum, S. obtusum and S. papillosum. The possible disappearance of a species Sphagnum centrale, S. contortum, S. flexuosum and S. obtusum on the territory of the Volytsky Botanical Reserve of national importance was established owing to the draining of wetlands. Ecological groups of sphagnum species on the research area were analyzed, where the predominance of subheliophytes (7 species, 46.7 %), hygrophytes (13 species, 86.7 %), cold tolerant species (13 or 87.7 %) and acidophiles (8 species, 53.3 %) was identified. The topicality of the study is determined by the fact that sphagnum mosses are spread much less frequently than other species from the division of bryophytes because they are confined to a narrow range of biotopes. With the drastic changes in the hydrological regime of the environment, which occurred during the second half of the twentieth century, due to the large areas of drained land, the processes of biotope dehydration became irreversible and some species of sphagnum could have disappeared from the territory of Male Polissya. Due to the sensitivity of bryophytes, in particular species of the sphagnum genus, and due to a disturbance of the hydrological regime of wetlands, the waterlogged mixed coniferous forest in the vicinity of the village Kulychkiv is a promising territory for the creation of a new environmentally protected site or the extension of the Volytsky Botanical Reserve of national importance for the purpose of wetlands preservation here.