Andromeda Polifolia Research Articles

Plant functional type and peat properties determine elemental transfer in boreal mire vegetation

Uptake of elements into plants is an integral part of many environmental impact assessments. Typically, the plant uptake is determined using an empirical soil-to-plant transfer factor (CR). The elemental concentrations in plants are expected to vary with plant species and plant functional type (PFT), but also according to soil and element properties. Specifically, the uptake of essential elements is regulated, and likely less related to soil concentrations than the uptake of non-essential elements. In this study, the impact of PFT, species and environmental factors on the CR of mire plants was tested. The plants included in the study were four common boreal peatland species (Andromeda polifolia, Vaccinium oxycoccus, Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex rostrata) sampled from 40 minerogenic mires along an age gradient.The results show that while plant species and PFT (heathers and sedges) are the main determinants of the CR value, also environmental factors, such as peat C:N ratio, are important. Further, concentrations of essential elements in plants were only weakly correlated to peat concentrations, whereas the correlation was stronger for non-essential elements and elements utilized at trace amounts.The results of this study verify that CR values may vary substantially between peatland plant species and PFTs. Further, the results suggest that it is relevant to include effects of PFTs on CR and among-species variation in environmental impact assessments. This is because the PFT may have a large impact on the exposure pathways to humans, which could, for example, be berries or animal feed, and also due to the uncertainties of the composition of the future vegetation communities. Since CR varies systematically with several soil properties, there may be potential for adjusting the CR values for expected environmental changes, and thereby reduce the uncertainties of empirical CR values determined from a broad range of environmental conditions.

The component composition of the total flavonoid fractions from some <i>Ericaceae</i> family and their effect on the NO-stimulating activity of peritoneal macrophages

Introduction. Representatives of the Ericaceae family are quite common in Russia and are promising for the creation of new medicines of plant origin. At the same time, only 4 of them are official. The study of biologically active substances and pharmacological activity of Andromeda polifolia L., Chamaеdaphne calyculata (L.) Moench, Ledum palustre L., Empetrum nigrum L. with rich resource reserves is promising.Aim. Comparative study of the composition of total flavonoid fractions from A. polifolia, C. calyculata, L. palustre, E. nigrum and study of their effect on the NO-stimulating activity of peritoneal macrophagesMaterials and methods. The crushed aboveground part (leafy shoots) was previously depigmented with chloroform, treated with 70 % aqueous acetone, then acetone was removed. Flavonoids were extracted with ethyl acetate from the aqueous phase. The identification of flavonoids was carried out by HPLC (UltiMate 3000 chromatograph) according to the coincidence of retention times and spectral characteristics, the calculation of the content was carried out by simple normalization. The effect of the samples on nitric oxide production was studied on macrophages of C57BL/6 mice. Endotoxin control in the samples was carried out using a LAL test and cell incubation in the presence of polymyxin B.Results and discussion. The composition of flavonoid fractions from A. polifolia, C. calyculata, L. palustre and E. nigrum has been studied. 8 phenolic compounds were found in C. calyculata shoots, including isoquercitrin, herbacetin, naringenin and naringin – for the first time for this species. 5 compounds were detected in A. polifolia shoots, including isoquercitrin and herbacetin, for the first time for this species. 5 and 4 compounds were identified in L. palustre and E. nigrum shoots, respectively, while quercetin glycosides are predominant in all samples: isoquercitrin, hyperoside and rutin. The fraction of C. calyculata flavonoids at doses of 1, 5, 10 mcg/ml inhibits the production of nitric oxide by macrophages by 30 %, and E. nigrum flavonoids at doses of 100 and 200 mcg/ml, on the contrary, enhance the production of nitrites by macrophages by 33 and 37 %, respectively.Conclusion. A comparative study of the composition of total flavonoid fractions from A. polifolia, C. calyculata, L. palustre, and E. nigrum, which are capable of activating both M1 and M2 polarization of peritoneal macrophages in mice, has been conducted, which requires further in-depth study. The flavonoids C. calyculata and E. nigrum are promising for further study.

Collection of representatives of the Ericaceae family in the botanical garden of the Kuzbass Humanitarian Pedagogical Institute

Representatives of the heather family are distributed in the temperate climate zone almost throughout the globe and are of great economic importance. The collection of representatives of the Ericaceae family in the Botanical Garden of the Kuzbass Humanitarian Pedagogical Institute of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Kemerovo State University” consists of 12 species and 28 varieties belonging to 7 genera. Representatives of the genus Rhododendron are represented by 10 species and 7 hybrid varieties. These are predominantly evergreen, semi-deciduous or deciduous shrubs. The collection also includes 11 varieties of common heather with a wide range of flower and leaf colors. Also, in the conditions of the Botanical Garden of KSPI, the varieties Erica carnea L. (ruddy or herbaceous Erica) performed well. Among other representatives of the Heather family, the collection includes 3 species of Kalmia, 2 varieties of Empetrum nigrum L., 2 varieties of Andromeda polifolia L. and Vaccinium myrtillus L. (common blueberry). The experience of relatively successful cultivation of representatives of the heather family allows us to hope for expanding the taxonomic and quantitative composition of the collection, which is actively used for scientific and educational purposes.

Night-time water relations and gas exchange in cut shoots of five boreal dwarf shrub species: impact of soil water availability.

Recent findings suggest that drought may affect plants' daytime and night-time stomatal regulation differently. However, knowledge of night-time stomatal behaviour in dwarf shrubs growing in boreal ecosystems is lacking. We sampled cut shoots from dwarf shrub species to elucidate their capacity to transpire at night and the effect of drought on stomatal regulation. The shoots' water relations and gas exchange were measured under controlled conditions in a growth chamber. The studied species demonstrated considerable differences in their diurnal water use. The night-time water use percentage of daytime water use (NWU) reached up to 90% in Andromeda polifolia and Vaccinium uliginosum. In Rhododendron tomentosum, Vaccinium myrtillus and Chamaedaphne calyculata, the NWU was 62, 27 and 26%, respectively. The shoots of C. calyculata showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in the transpiration rate (E) during the night. However, in R. tomentosum, a decrease (P < 0.05) in nightly E was observed. The shoot conductance (g) at the end of the night was lower than daytime g in all studied species, but the difference was not significant for V. uliginosum. Across the species, NWU was negatively related (P < 0.001) to the soil volumetric water content (SWC) in the plant habitat. However, daytime E and g were positively related (P < 0.05) to the habitat SWC. Only in V. myrtillus was night-time E higher (P < 0.05) in dry conditions than in wet conditions. Our results demonstrate high variability in diurnal water relations in dwarf shrubs, which can keep stomata open in the dark even when drought limits daytime g and E.

Long-Term Warming and Nitrogen Addition Regulate Responses of Dark Respiration and Net Photosynthesis in Boreal Bog Plants to Short-Term Increases in CO2 and Temperature

Boreal bog plants adapted to cold and low available nutrient conditions might be strongly affected by global changes, including elevated CO2 (eCO2), warming (W), and increasing nitrogen (N) availability. Here, we examined responses of dark respiration (Rd) and net photosynthesis (Anet) in four dominant bog plants to five levels of short-term increases in both CO2 and temperature (CTI); and the effects of long-term (6 years) W and N addition on these responses. Results indicated that CTI increased Rd; meanwhile, the increase of these environmental variables decreased Anet in all these boreal bog plants. Long-term nitrogen addition simulated the increases of Rd and decreases of Anet in Trichophorum cespitosum. Long-term warming mitigated the increases of Rd in Andromeda glaucophylla and Gaylussacia bigeloviana, and the decrease of Anet in Gaylussacia bigeloviana. These findings highlight the importance of long-term warming and nitrogen addition in regulating responses of boreal bog plants to short-term CTI, suggesting the necessity to investigate the long-term effects of these environmental changes when projecting responses of boreal bog vegetation to global changes.

Nature conservation significance of Plav-ІІ, Yamny peat ecosystems of Zhytomyr region

The materials of the Report on environmental impact assessment of peat extraction of the Plav-II deposit in the administrative boundaries of Olevskyi district of Zhytomyr region were analyzed. Nature conservation studies of peat ecosystems of Plav-II, Yamny have been carried out. We do not recommend the development of peat deposits. The territory of the planned activity (the southern section of the Yamny peat deposit) is partially located on the territory of the Emerald Slovechanskyi Kriazh (UA 0000173) facility. Among the animal species included in the Red Book of Ukraine, Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758, Lyrurus tetrix Linnaeus, 1758 were recorded. In the last case, a hen with chicks was noted. This fact testifies to the importance of this locality for the reproduction of the species, since the hatching and hatching of the offspring in grouse takes place in the foci of their moulting in the spring. In addition to the mentioned species, the noted Crex crex Linnaeus, 1758 is a species included in Appendix II of the Berne Convention, ratified by Ukraine. For the first time, new habitats of six plant species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine were discovered: Carex chordorhiza Ehrh., Carex heleonastes Ehrh. Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó (Orchis incarnata L.), Utricularia intermedia Hayne, Salix lapponum L., Salix myrtilloides L. Noted regionally rare species of flora: Parnassia palustris L., Nymphaea candida C. Presl., Carexlimosa L. Monitoring such rare species of higher vascular plants as Andromeda polifolia L., Drosera rotundifolia L., Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl, etc. need research. Habitat types from resolutions of the Convention on the Conservation of Wild Flora and Fauna and Natural Habitats in Europe (Bern Convention): C1.222 Floating Hydrocharis morsusranae rafts — Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, D2.3 Transition mires and quaking bogs. One of the features of the flora and vegetation of the Plav-II tract is the absence of adventive, invasive plant species (with the exception of Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott). On the other hand, on the drained Yamny peatland, phytoinvasions appear massively, but in comparison there is a much greater and sozologically important diversity of avifauna. It is recommended to create a reserve of local importance Plav-II, as well as justify rehabilitation and renaturalization measures in the Yamny peatland.

Сообщества с кустарниковыми ивами в подзоне типичных тундр восточноевропейского сектора Арктики

Сообщества с кустарниковыми ивами в подзоне типичных тундр восточноевропейского сектора Арктики

System for ecological regulation of the biosynthesis of flavonoids as a strange attractor

Flavonoids are a large class of plant polyphenols with various adaptation functions to environmental factors. The biosynthesis of flavonoids is characterized by a high plasticity of their synthesis and multiple species differences. The HPLC spectra of flavonoid chromatograms from the populations of Juniperus sabina, Glycirrhiza korshinskyi, Achillea millefolia of the South Trans-Urals and pulations of Oxycoccus palustris, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Andromeda polifolia oligotrophic bogs in Western Siberia were studied. Each chromatograms of all species differed in the number of peaks, peak areas, and peak release times (compounds). It was shown that the system of flavonoid biosynthesis is fractal in nature. The species groups of flavonoids have properties of strange attractors. Using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) clear differences between species and groups of species in contrasting ecosystems is shown. Thus, species-specific populations of flavonoids and compounds with similar physicochemical properties are a distinct regional product. In this regard, along with the search and selection of individual plant species based on the content of one compound, it seems appropriate to search for effective regional complexes of flavonoids

A novel proof of concept for capturing the diversity of endophytic fungi preserved in herbarium specimens.

Herbarium specimens represent important records of morphological and genetic diversity of plants that inform questions relevant to global change, including species distributions, phenology and functional traits. It is increasingly appreciated that plant microbiomes can influence these aspects of plant biology, but little is known regarding the historic distribution of microbes associated with plants collected in the pre-molecular age. If microbiomes can be observed reliably in herbarium specimens, researchers will gain a new lens with which to examine microbial ecology, evolution, species interactions. Here, we describe a method for accessing historical plant microbiomes from preserved herbarium specimens, providing a proof of concept using two plant taxa from the imperiled boreal biome (Andromeda polifolia and Ledum palustre subsp. groenlandicum, Ericaceae). We focus on fungal endophytes, which occur within symptomless plant tissues such as leaves. Through a three-part approach (i.e. culturing, cloning and next-generation amplicon sequencing via the Illumina MiSeq platform, with extensive controls), we examined endophyte communities in dried, pressed leaves that had been processed as regular herbarium specimens and stored at room temperature in a herbarium for four years. We retrieved only one endophyte in culture, but cloning and especially the MiSeq analysis revealed a rich community of foliar endophytes. The phylogenetic distribution and diversity of endophyte assemblages, especially among the Ascomycota, resemble endophyte communities from fresh plants collected in the boreal biome. We could distinguish communities of endophytes in each plant species and differentiate likely endophytes from fungi that could be surface contaminants. Taxa found by cloning were observed in the larger MiSeq dataset, but species richness was greater when subsets of the same tissues were evaluated with the MiSeq approach. Our findings provide a proof of concept for capturing endophyte DNA from herbarium specimens, supporting the importance of herbarium records as roadmaps for understanding the dynamics of plant-associated microbial biodiversity in the Anthropocene.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.

Sphagnum Species Modulate their Phenolic Profiles and Mycorrhizal Colonization of Surrounding Andromeda polifolia along Peatland Microhabitats.

Sphagnum mosses mediate long-term carbon accumulation in peatlands. Given their functional role as keystone species, it is important to consider their responses to ecological gradients and environmental changes through the production of phenolics. We compared the extent to which Sphagnum phenolic production was dependent on species, microhabitats and season, and how surrounding dwarf shrubs responded to Sphagnum phenolics. We evaluated the phenolic profiles of aqueous extracts of Sphagnum fallax and Sphagnum magellanicum over a 6-month period in two microhabitats (wet lawns versus dry hummocks) in a French peatland. Phenolic profiles of water-soluble extracts were measured by UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Andromeda polifolia mycorrhizal colonization was quantified by assessing the intensity of global root cortex colonization. Phenolic profiles of both Sphagnum mosses were species-, season- and microhabitat- dependant. Sphagnum-derived acids were the phenolics mostly recovered; relative quantities were 2.5-fold higher in S. fallax than in S. magellanicum. Microtopography and vascular plant cover strongly influenced phenolic profiles, especially for minor metabolites present in low abundance. Higher mycorrhizal colonization of A. polifolia was found in lawns as compared to hummocks. Mycorrhizal abundance, in contrast to environmental parameters, was correlated with production of minor phenolics in S. fallax. Our results highlight the close interaction between mycorrhizae such as those colonizing A. polifolia and the release of Sphagnum phenolic metabolites and suggest that Sphagnum-derived acids and minor phenolics play different roles in this interaction. This work provides new insight into the ecological role of Sphagnum phenolics by proposing a strong association with mycorrhizal colonization of shrubs.

&lt;p class="Body"&gt;Supplementary description of three species from the subfamily Cecidophyinae (Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) from the Nalepa collection

Supplementary descriptions of three cecidophyine species based on topotype specimens recovered from vials from the Nalepa collection kept in the Natural History Museum (Vienna, Austria) are given: Cecidophyes galii (Karpelles 1884) from Asperula aparine M. Bieb. and Galium mollugo L. (Rubiaceae), Chrecidus ruebsaameni (Nalepa 1895) com. nov. (transferred from Cecidophyopsis) from Andromeda polifolia L. (Ericaceae) and Colomerus bucidae (Nalepa 1904) from Bucida buceras L. (Combretaceae). Observations on the morphological variability of Colomerus bucidae from different host plants are given. Morphological differences between two closely related species, Cecidophyes galii and Cecidophyes rouhollahi Craemer 1999 are discussed.

Palaeoecology of Sphagnum riparium (Ångström) in Northern Hemisphere peatlands: Implications for peatland conservation and palaeoecological research

Sphagnum riparium (Ångström) is a rare constituent of modern peatland plant communities and is also very rarely found as a subfossil in peat archives. We present new data on the occurrence of Sphagnum riparium macrofossils in three Northern Hemisphere peatlands from Yellowknife (NW Canada), Abisko (N Sweden), and the Northern Ural Mountains (NW Russia). Sphagnum riparium macrofossils were present in transitional phases between rich fen and oligotrophic bog. Sphagnum riparium was a dominant species in the three sites and was found in combination with Sphagnum angustifolium, Drepanocladus sp., and vascular plants including Andromeda polifolia, Chamedaphne calyculata and Oxycoccus palustris. Testate amoebae indicate that the species occurred in wet to moderately wet conditions (water-table depth inferred from a testate amoeba transfer function model ranged between 25 and 0 cm under the peatland surface). The wet-indicator taxa Archerella flavum and Hyalosphenia papilio dominated the testate amoeba communities in peat horizons containing Sphagnum riparium. The presence of Sphagnum riparium macrofossils in peat profiles in the Northern Hemisphere can be interpreted as an indication of wet minerotrophic conditions, often corresponding to a rise in water-level and establishment of a wet habitat. Sphagnum riparium is a transient species in these peatlands and is replaced by communities dominated by more acidophilic species such as Sphagnum angustifolium, Sphagnum russowii, and Sphagnum fuscum. Our data show that although Sphagnum riparium is a transient peat-forming species, it is widespread in sub-arctic and boreal environments. The subfossil occurrence of Sphagnum riparium in the Northern Hemisphere may indicate that its range has increased during the Late Holocene. The conservation of Sphagnum riparium in peatlands depends on the existence of relatively short-lived transitional communities which potentially can be artificially created.

Contents of macro-, microelements and long-lived radionuclides in the medicinal plants belonging to the wetland community of Siberian region, Russia

Studied contents of macro-, microelements and long-lived radionuclides in the following medicinal plants belonging to the wetland community of Siberian region, Russia: Sphagnum fuscum (Schimp.) Klinggr., Sphagnum balticum (Russ.) Russ. ex С. Jens., Polytrichum strictum Brid., Pinus sylvestris L., Pinus sibirica Du Tour, Betula pubescens Ehrh., Andromeda polifolia L., Ledum palustre L., Oxycoccus palustris Pers., Rubus chamaemorus L., Vaccinium uliginosum L., Comarum palustre L., Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench. Samples were collected in the sphagnum wetlands of Tomsk region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. For the purpose of research, we used roots, shoots and bark of the plants in the Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta species and turf of the Bryophyta species. The content of macro-, microelements in the plants was determined by an atomic emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma “iCAP 6300 Duo” of the “Thermo Scientific” company. The specific activities of the long-lived radionuclides Th-232, K-40, Ra-226, Cs-137 were measured by a gamma-ray spectrometric complex with a high purity germanium semiconductor detector by “ORTEC” (AMETEK) and a digital analyser “ORTEC DSPEC LF”. The obtained results of the element content are useful when selecting a medicinal plant species (or part thereof) which may be used in preparation of new medicinal drugs.

Experimental climate warming alters the relationship between fungal root symbiosis and Sphagnum litter phenolics in two peatland microhabitats

Belowground interactions between plants and microorganisms are involved in numerous ecosystems processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling. Understanding their responses to on-going climate warming is thus of paramount importance to better predict future ecosystem functioning. We hypothesized that climate warming alters the interactions between Sphagnum litter phenolics and the fungal root symbiosis of the Ericale plant Andromeda polifolia in a Jura mountain peatland (France). We initiate a climate warming treatment (+1 °C) in April 2008 in two microhabitats (lawns and hummocks). We measured polyphenolic contents, mycorrhizal and dark septate endophyte (DSE) root colonization, phenoloxidase and peroxidase activities in the A. polifolia rhizosphere from 2010 to 2012. We found that four years of warming modulated rhizospheric parameters (fungal root symbiosis and enzyme activities) of A. polifolia, but the response differed between microhabitats. Enzyme activities and fungal root colonization displayed different responses to warming according to the microhabitats. DSE root colonization increased and peroxidase activities decreased in warmed Hummocks while they remained stable in warmed lawns. We found a significant positive correlation between DSE root colonization and litter phenolics recovered in both microhabitats but only under in ambient conditions. On the contrary, significant negative correlation was observed between mycorrhizae and litter phenolics recovered in warmed plots while no relationship was found in control plots. Our work thus provides evidences that interplay between phenolics from Sphagnum litter and fungal symbiosis of an Ericale species in peatlands was affected by climate warming. It highlights different plant biological responses to climate warming according to peatland microhabitats and confirm that belowground activities are crucial to understand the response of peatlands to climate change.

Recent and Holocene climate change controls on vegetation and carbon accumulation in Alaskan coastal muskegs

Pollen, spore, macrofossil and carbon data from a peatland near Cordova, Alaska, reveal insights into the climate–vegetation–carbon interactions from the initiation of the Holocene, c. the last 11.5 ka, to the present (1 ka = 1000 calibrated years before present where 0 = 1950 CE). The Holocene period is characterized by early deposition of gyttja in a pond environment with aquatics such as Nuphar polysepalum and Potamogeton, and a significant regional presence of Alnus crispa subsp. sinuata. Carbon accumulation (50 g/m2/a) was high for a short interval in the early Holocene when Sphagnum peat accumulated, but was followed by a major decline to 13 g/m2/a from 7 to 3.7 ka when Cyperaceae and ericads such as Rhododendron (formerly Ledum) groenlandicum expanded. This shift to sedge growth is representative of many peatlands throughout the south-central region of Alaska, and indicates a drier, more evaporative environment with a large decline in carbon storage. The subsequent return to Sphagnum peat after 4 ka in the Neoglacial represents a widespread shift to moister, cooler conditions, which favored a resurgence of ericads, such as Andromeda polifolia, and increased carbon accumulation rate. The sustained Alnus expansion visible in the top 10 cm of the peat profile is correlative with glacial retreat and warming of the region in the last century, and suggests this colonization will continue as temperature increases and ice melts.

Record of environmental and climatic changes in middle Pleistocene sediments from Łuków (eastern Poland) on the basis of plant macroremains analysis

Abstract Lacustrine sediments at the Łuków site bear a record of the Ferdynandovian interglacial, correlated with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13-15, including two warm periods of interglacial rank (climatostratigraphic units Ferdynandovian 1 and 2) separated by cooling/glaciation (Ferdynandovian 1/2). On the basis of plant macroremains analysis, the type of local vegetation in the lake and its surroundings as well as changes in climate, trophic conditions and water level were reconstructed in detail. Ferdynandovian 1 was a time of development of tall sedge swamps. The presence of Najas marina and N. minor also suggests high levels of eutrophication, particularly in the younger part of the climatic optimum. The occurrence of Zannichellia palustris indicates habitats of variable water level and high salt content. In the terminocratic phase of Ferdynandovian 1, the communities showed the reoccurrence of Betula nana, B. humilis and Larix sp., the disappearance of thermophilous trees, and the intensification of succession processes linked to climate cooling. In the cool Ferdynandovian 1/2, Betula nana and Cenococcum geophilum increased their frequencies, most likely due to enhanced supply of mineral matter to the basin. During Ferdynandovian 2, the next climate warming of interglacial rank, communities of aquatic vegetation with the highest share of thermophilous taxa included the extinct Aldrowanda borysthenica, Brasenia borysthenica, and Scirpus atroviroides, as well as Cyperus glomeratus, a species not presently found in the flora of Poland. Another cooling in the Sanian 2 (Elsterian 2) glaciation is indicated by the development of peat communities, with numerous Carex sp., Menyanthes trifoliata, Eriophorum vaginatum, and Andromeda polifolia, accompanied by the extinct Carex paucifloroides, Caulinia macrosperma, and Potamogeton praemaackianus. The provided description of the Ferdynandovian succession includes taxa which are extinct, not found in the Polish flora nowadays, or characteristic of a climatic context. The identified species included Brasenia borysthenica, Aldrovanda borysthenica, Caulinia macrosperma, Potamogeton praemaackianus, Scirpus atroviroides, Cyperus glomeratus, Eleocharis praemaximoviczii, Nymphaea cinerea, and Ranunculus gailensis. It has not yet been resolved whether the flora of Łuków includes Euryale sp., a particularly important taxon.

Experimental warming interacts with soil moisture to discriminate plant responses in an ombrotrophic peatland

AbstractQuestionA better understanding of the response of Sphagnum mosses and associated vascular plants to climate warming is relevant for predicting the carbon balance of peatlands in a warmer world. Open‐top chambers (OTCs) have been used to investigate the effect on soil biogeochemical processes in peatlands, but little information is available on the effects of OTCs on microclimate conditions and the associated response of the plant community. We aimed to understand how simulated warming and differences in soil moisture affect plant species cover.LocationA Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands in French Jura.MethodsWe used OTCs to measure the effect of a near‐ground temperature increase (+1.5 °C on average) on vegetation dynamics over five growing seasons (2008–2012) in a Sphagnum‐dominated peatland, in two adjacent microhabitats with different hydrological conditions – wet and dry. Microclimatic conditions and plant species abundance were monitored at peak biomass in years 1, 2, 3 and 5 and monthly during the plant growing season in year 5.ResultsThe response to warming differed between vascular plants and bryophytes, as well as among species within these groups, and also varied in relation to soil moisture. Andromeda polifolia abundance responded positively to warming, while Vaccinium oxycoccus responded negatively, and Eriophorum vaginatum showed a high resistance.ConclusionDepth of rooting of vascular plants appeared to control the response in plant abundance, while moss abundance depended on various other interacting factors, such as shading by the vascular plant community, precipitation and soil moisture.

Сообщества класса Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. 1943 в восточноевропейских тундрах

Сообщества класса Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. 1943 в восточноевропейских тундрах

Ericaceae stabilize peat and foster Sphagnum majus establishment at pool margins in restored peatlands

Pools are recognized as biodiversity hotspots in natural peatlands, thus creating pools would increase the ecological value of restored peatlands. However, the peaty margins of artificial pools are unstable, as frost heave creates much surface erosion restricting establishment of vascular plant seedlings. This study evaluates the ability of heather shrubs (Ericaceae) to stabilize created pool margins in restored peatlands. Andromeda polifolia var. latifolia and Vaccinium macrocarpon plants were introduced to form a sparse cover (<25%) at pool margins. Sphagnum majus fragments were spread simultaneously between the shrubs over half the surface at a density of 50% in ground cover, and seeds of herbaceous plants typical of pool margins were sown at two distances from the low-water mark (0.5 and 3.5m). We examined the impact of Ericaceae on (1) frost heave intensity, (2) S. majus establishment and (3) herbaceous species establishment. Treatments using ericaceous shrubs or Sphagnum, both alone or in combination, all reduced frost heave by about 50%. After one year, it also increased survival of S. majus (four-fold) on the wettest soil along the banks. However, at a greater distance from the water (2 and 3.5m), the Sphagnum cover was not influenced by the presence of Ericaceae. Establishment and growth of herbaceous plants grown from seeds were not influenced by the presence of Ericaceae. This study demonstrates the potential of Ericaceae for stabilizing the peat substrate close to the water line and improving survival of S. majus introduced at the immediate edge of created pools.

River flooding as a driver of polygon dynamics: modern vegetation data and a millennial peat record from the Anabar River lowlands (Arctic Siberia)

Abstract. The spatial and temporal variability of a low-centred polygon on the eastern floodplain area of the lower Anabar River (72.070° N, 113.921° E; northern Yakutia, Siberia) has been investigated using a multi-method approach. The present-day vegetation in each square metre was analysed, revealing a community of Larix, shrubby Betula, and Salix on the polygon rim, a dominance of Carex and Andromeda polifolia in the rim-to-pond transition zone, and a predominantly monospecific Scorpidium scorpioides coverage within the pond. The total organic carbon (TOC) content, TOC / TN (total nitrogen) ratio, grain size, vascular plant macrofossils, moss remains, diatoms, and pollen were analysed for two vertical sections and a sediment core from a transect across the polygon. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the formation of the polygon started at least 1500 yr ago; the general positions of the pond and rim have not changed since that time. Two types of pond vegetation were identified, indicating two contrasting development stages of the polygon. The first was a well-established moss association, dominated by submerged or floating Scorpidium scorpioides and/or Drepanocladus spp. and overgrown by epiphytic diatoms such as Tabellaria flocculosa and Eunotia taxa. This stage coincides temporally with a period in which the polygon was only drained by lateral subsurface water flow, as indicated by mixed grain sizes. A different moss association occurred during times of repeated river flooding (indicated by homogeneous medium-grained sand that probably accumulated during the annual spring snowmelt), characterized by an abundance of Meesia triquetra and a dominance of benthic diatoms (e.g. Navicula vulpina), indicative of a relatively high pH and a high tolerance of disturbance. A comparison of the local polygon vegetation (inferred from moss and macrofossil spectra) with the regional vegetation (inferred from pollen spectra) indicated that the moss association with Scorpidium scorpioides became established during relatively favourable climatic conditions, while the association dominated by Meesia triquetra occurred during periods of harsh climatic conditions. Our study revealed a strong riverine influence (in addition to climatic influences) on polygon development and the type of peat accumulated.