TY - JOUR

T1 - Plant species composition and vegetation structure of Sphagnum cultivation sites

AU - Grobe, Amanda

N1 - Establishment of the cultivation sites and the accompanying research were funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (ML, AZ 105.1-3234/1-13-3) and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU, AZ 33305/01–33/0).

PY - 2023/8/10

Y1 - 2023/8/10

N2 - Aims: The cultivation of Sphagnum mosses in paludiculture has high potential for the use of formerly drained peatlands under wet conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plant species composition and vegetation structure of Sphagnum cultivation sites in comparison with near-natural donor sites and rewetted sites without Sphagnum introduction. Location: Central Europe, northwest Germany close to the Dutch–German border. Methods: The treatments (rewetting with and without Sphagnum introduction) and a near-natural donor as a reference were each studied at three different sites. At each site, bryophyte and vascular plant species composition as well as parameters of vegetation structure were sampled in 40 randomly positioned plots of 25 cm × 25 cm. Results: In addition to the highly frequent Sphagnum, several further plant species typical of bogs were introduced. At two cultivation sites, the species composition showed a high degree of similarity to the near-natural donor sites, whereas the third site was more similar to the rewetted sites without the introduction of Sphagnum biomass. Rewetted sites were species-poor in comparison with all other sites. Apart from a high cover of Sphagnum, the vegetation structure at the cultivation sites differed significantly from the near-natural donor sites. Conclusions: Sphagnum cultivation sites can be used to grow donor material for peatland restoration and contribute to species conservation by providing substitute habitat for bog-typical and threatened plant species.

AB - Aims: The cultivation of Sphagnum mosses in paludiculture has high potential for the use of formerly drained peatlands under wet conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plant species composition and vegetation structure of Sphagnum cultivation sites in comparison with near-natural donor sites and rewetted sites without Sphagnum introduction. Location: Central Europe, northwest Germany close to the Dutch–German border. Methods: The treatments (rewetting with and without Sphagnum introduction) and a near-natural donor as a reference were each studied at three different sites. At each site, bryophyte and vascular plant species composition as well as parameters of vegetation structure were sampled in 40 randomly positioned plots of 25 cm × 25 cm. Results: In addition to the highly frequent Sphagnum, several further plant species typical of bogs were introduced. At two cultivation sites, the species composition showed a high degree of similarity to the near-natural donor sites, whereas the third site was more similar to the rewetted sites without the introduction of Sphagnum biomass. Rewetted sites were species-poor in comparison with all other sites. Apart from a high cover of Sphagnum, the vegetation structure at the cultivation sites differed significantly from the near-natural donor sites. Conclusions: Sphagnum cultivation sites can be used to grow donor material for peatland restoration and contribute to species conservation by providing substitute habitat for bog-typical and threatened plant species.

KW - bog restoration diversity

KW - bryophytes

KW - natural donor site

KW - paludiculture farming

KW - plant reintroduction

KW - rewetted cut-over peatland

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85167910323&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/avsc.12744

DO - 10.1111/avsc.12744

M3 - Article

VL - 26

JO - Applied vegetation science

JF - Applied vegetation science

SN - 1402-2001

IS - 3

M1 - e12744

ER -