Stand structure, invasion, and growth dynamics of bog pine (<i>Pinus uncinata</i> var. <i>rotundata</i>) in relation to peat cutting and drainage in the Jura Mountains, Switzerland

Abstract

A description of bog pine stands (Pinus uncinata Ramond var. rotundata (Link) Antoine) on uncut oligotrophic mires affected by drainage and nearby peat cuttings at three sites of the Jura Mountains (Switzerland) is given. In all sites, three situations were chosen: (i) central parts of the bogs, (ii) surfaces near cutting walls and bog margins, and (iii) intermediate situations. Population structures were characteristic for each situation. In the open and wet central parts of the bogs, trees were scattered, small, and uneven aged. In the intermediate situations, tree density was higher, and the stand was multilayered with taller and uneven-aged individuals. Near the edges of the bogs or close to the peat cutting walls, the trees were tall, even-aged, and younger with a high growth rate. The nonsynchronous colonization of the bog pine trees on the three sites indicates that local factors such as drainage and peat cuttings in the vicinity of the uncut surfaces were more influential than climate factors. Radial growth patterns, very similar between the sites and the various pinewood stands, and the numerous common pointer years reflect local and regional climate fluctuations. The pinewood development on uncut bogs in the Jura Mountains thus represents a recent dynamics, which is strongly linked to human activities.