Regularities and Driving Factors of Spontaneous Re-Vegetation of Extracted Milled Peatlands in Estonia

Authors:
Triin Triisberg, Edgar Karofeld, Jaan Liira and Jaanus Paal

Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Stockholm

Keywords:
environmental-variables, landscape-scale, propagules, time

Documentfile:
Triisberg et al 2012: Regularities and Driving Factors of Spontaneous Re-Vegetation of Extracted Milled Peatlands in Estonia

Summary:

Theme V. Restoration, rehabilitation and after-use of disturbed peatlands

SUMMARY

To reveal the regularities and driving factors in re-vegetation we synthesized the results of inventory data from 64 extracted peatlands from all over Estonia (carried out by the Estonian Geological Survey) and the results of a fresh seed bank study from greenhouse experiments with peat blocks from three extracted peatlands. In the flat areas the species number is positively correlated with the time elapsed since the cessation of mining. In ditches, the re-vegetation is largely influenced by the depth of the well decomposed peat layer. The number of species, accumulated from the seed rain during last year, was similar in edges and centres, but there was a difference in species composition. Fertilization had a larger effect on species composition than on species number.