Authors:
Andrzej Lachacz and Magdalena Domanska
Book:
After Wise Use – The Future of Peatlands, Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress: Pristine Mire Landscapes
Venue:
Tullamore, Ireland
Keywords:
eutrophic-lake, organic-matter-mineralization, peatlands, soil-cover
Documentfile:
Lachacz 2008: Organic soils of the Lake Luknajno biosphere reserve
Summary:
The nature reserve ‘Lake Luknajno’ was established in order to protect its population of mute swan Cygnus olor and other bird species. ‘Lake Luknajno’ is also a Biosphere Reserve established by UNESCO in 1977 and a Ramsar site. The reserve encompasses a shallow lake surrounded by peatlands. Various processes resulted in the gradual lowering of the water level in the lake. Organic matter mineralisation is currently the main soil-forming process in organic soils. As a result, muck soils and mucky soils developed there. Nowadays peat soils at the stage of organic matter accumulation occur primarily under permanently waterlogged rushes surrounding the lake. Thick deposits of calcareous gyttja have accumulated in the lake basin.