On the basis of the well-known preservative properties of Sphagnum moss, a potential opportunity to use moss polysaccharides (Sphagnan) in art conservation was tested. Polysaccharides were extracted from the moss (S. palustre spp.) in the amount of 4.1% of the Sphagnum plant dry weight. All lignocelluloses were removed from this extract as a result of the treatment of the moss cellulose with sodium chlorite. The extracted polysaccharide possessed a strong acidic reaction (pH 2.8) and was soluble in water and organic solvents. The extract was tested on laboratory bacterial cultures by the disk-diffusion method. The antibacterial effect was demonstrated for E. coli and P. aeruginosa (both gram-negative) while Staphylococcus aurelus (gram-positive) was shown to be insensitive to Sphagnum polysaccharides. The antifungal effect of Sphagnum extract was tested by the disk-diffusion method on the spores of seventeen fungal species. These fungi were isolated from ethnographic museum objects and from archaeological objects excavated in the Arctic. Twelve of these isolates appeared susceptible to the extract. The inhibiting effect of the extract was also tested by the modified broth-dilution method on the most typical isolate (Aspergillus spp.). In this experiment, in one ml of the nutritious broth, 40µl of 3% solution of polysaccharides in water killed 10,000 fungal spores in 6 hours. The inhibiting effect was not connected to the acidity or osmotic effect of Sphagnum polysaccharides. As an example of the application of Sphagnum polysaccharides in art conservation, they were added as preservative agents to conservation waxes. After three weeks of exposure of microcrystalline wax to test fungi (Aspergillus spp.), 44% of wax was consumed. When, however, ~ 0.1% (w/w) of Sphagnum extract was mixed with wax, the weight loss of wax was only 4% in the same time interval. On the basis of this study it was concluded that Sphagnum moss and Sphagnum products can be recommended for use in art conservation as antifungal agents. / Thesis (Master, Art Conservation) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-14 15:55:23.779

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2001. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Boreal peatlands play important roles in global C and nutrient cycling. Oligotrophic bogs are naturally nitrogen (N) limited, receiving nutrients only via atmospheric deposition. Increased nutrient deposition, particularly N will almost certainly change the microbiology, biogeochemistry, and C and nutrient balances in bogs. Both primary production and decomposition can be affected, but the net effects of N fertilization are complex and unclear. A three-year N fertilization experiment with 15N double labeled 15NH415NO3 as a tracer was designed to study the effects of increasing N deposition on various N pools (including microbial communities, moss, roots, litter, and aboveground vascular plants) and how these N pools process and retain applied N in four ombrogenous bogs in northern Alberta, Canada. Linear growth of Sphagnum mosses was highly variable. However, both capitulum and stem weight showed increase in weight with N addition, resulting in significant increase of capitulum and stem bulk density with N deposition. Total annual primary production, with both capitulum and stem growth accounted for, doubled from low N deposition plots to high N deposition plots. Microbial biomass N measured by chloroform fumigation-extraction only showed a decrease with N deposition in the first year of the experiment. Fungal biomass declined with N deposition as nutrients are readily available under high N loads, perhaps eliminating the need for help from symbiotic fungi for nutrient uptake. The growth of Sphagnum mosses and microbial communities may have been influenced by drier and warmer growing period during 2005 to 2007. These abnormal climatic events could have masked the effects of N deposition on surface Sphagnum moss and microbial communities. This 15N tracer experiment revealed high retention rates of 15N by moss layers as expected. However, retention efficiency of moss layers declined over time and with increasing N deposition, indicating a leakier system as N deposition exceeds the critical load of Sphagnum moss. Aboveground vascular plants overall benefited from N deposition, but different species responded differently based on the root morphology, rooting depths, and the mycorrhizae associations.

Submitted by Érica Maria Sauer Liberato (ericasliberato@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-06-20T17:21:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE ÉRICA LIBERATO - pós defesa revisão final4 docx.pdf: 1484768 bytes, checksum: 7da725687483a5622ad0c1d832219bb1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Lucia Martins Frederico null (mlucia@fca.unesp.br) on 2018-06-20T18:27:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 liberato_ems_me_botfca.pdf: 1364983 bytes, checksum: b46d31437783b99cc6c24017c25a804b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-20T18:27:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 liberato_ems_me_botfca.pdf: 1364983 bytes, checksum: b46d31437783b99cc6c24017c25a804b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / As propriedades físicas e químicas dos substratos são fatores que podem influenciar no desenvolvimento de mudas cítricas. Objetivou-se verificar o quanto as proporções de mistura influenciam no desenvolvimento de portaenxertos cítricos até a fase de enxertia e vir a ser novas formulações para citros. O presente trabalho foi dividido em dois experimentos, sendo realizados no viveiro da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Departamento de Ciência Florestal, em Botucatu - SP. No experimento 1, avaliou-se o desenvolvimento do portaenxerto citrumeleiro ‘Swingle’ em substratos com as seguintes composições: substrato comercial granulometria fina (1); substrato comercial granulometria superfina (2); substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 30% vermiculita fina, 20% casca de arroz (3); substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 30% vermiculita superfina, 20% casca de arroz (4); substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 20% vermiculita fina, 30% casca de arroz (5); substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 20% vermiculita superfina, 30% casca de arroz (6). Este experimento foi subdividido em duas fases: sementeira (fase 1) e viveiro (fase 2). Na fase 1, o delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado com seis combinações de substrato, quatro repetições e 51 plantas por parcela experimental. Quando as plantas estavam aptas ao transplantio para sacolas, foram analisadas ao acaso, 8 plantas por tratamento. Na fase 2, o delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, tendo-se seis substratos com quatro repetições, compostas por vinte plantas. A cada 28 dias, coletaram-se 3 plantas por repetição para análises de crescimento. Concluiu-se que os substratos com 30% de casca de arroz não são satisfatórios para o desenvolvimento do citrumeleiro ‘Swingle’. Os substratos 1 (comercial granulometria fina), 2 (comercial granulometria superfina) e 4 (50% turfa sphagnum, 30% vermiculita superfina, 20% casca de arroz), proporcionaram melhor desenvolvimento do portaenxerto, diante do manejo empregado. No experimento 2, avaliou-se a diferença granulométrica da vermiculita, fina e superfina, na formação inicial dos portaenxertos: laranjeira ‘Azeda’ (Citrus aurantium L.), tangerineira ‘Sunki’ (Citrus sunki Hort. ex Tan.), limoeiro ‘Volkameriano’ (Citrus volkameriana Pasq.) e tangerineira ‘Cleópatra’ (Citrus reshni Hort ex Tan.). Utilizaram-se substratos nas seguintes proporções: substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 20% vermiculita fina, 30% casca de arroz (1) e substrato 50% turfa sphagnum, 20% vermiculita superfina, 30% casca de arroz (2). O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 4x2 (portaenxerto x substrato), contendo 4 repetições, com 20 plantas. Avaliaram-se a porcentagem de emergência ao longo do tempo e as variáveis biométricas aos 120 dias após a semeadura. O substrato com vermiculita fina obteve os melhores resultados. A granulometria influencia as características físicas do substrato e consequentemente, interfere na disponibilidade de água e ar, sendo necessário ajuste na nutrição e frequência de irrigação de acordo com cada cultivar. / The physical and chemical properties of substrates are factors that can influence some development of citrus seedlings. It was verified how much these proportions of mixture can influence the development of ‘Swingle’ citrumelo rootstock until grafting and if it can be new formulations for citrus. The present work was divided in two experiments, being realized in the plants nursery of the São Paulo State University, Department of Foresty Science in Botucatu-SP. In experiment 1, the development of the ‘Swingle’ citrumelo rootstock on substrates with the following compositions: commercial substrate granulometry fine (1); commercial substrate granulometry superfine (2), Substrate 50% peat moss, 30% vermiculite fine, 20% rice husk (3); Substrate 50% peat moss, 30% vermiculite superfine, 20% rice husk (4); Substrate 50% peat moss, 20% vermiculite fine, 30% rice husk (5); Substrate 50% peat moss, 20% vermiculite superfine, 30% rice husk (6). The experiment 1 was subdivided into two phases: sowing period (period 1) and seedlings nursery (period 2). The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design in 6 x 4, with 51 plants per replications in the period 1. It was analysed eight plants per repetition when the plants are able to transplant for containers. The second period was arranged in a completely randomized design, with 6 substrates types, 4 repetitions composed by 20 plants. Every 28 days were collected 3 plants per repetition for analyses. It was concluded the substrates with 30% rice husk weren’t satisfactory for the development of 'Swingle' citrumeleiro. The substrates 1 (commercial substrate granulometry fine), 2 (commercial substrate granulometry superfine) and 4 (Substrate 50% peat moss, 30% vermiculite superfine, 20% rice husk) provided a better development of the rootstock until grafting period, according to the management used. In the second experiment, it was evaluated if the granulometric difference of vermiculite in fine and superfine, can influence in the initial formation of the rootstocks: 'Azeda' orange (Citrus aurantium L.), ‘Sunki’ tangerine (Citrus sunki Hort. ex Tan.), ‘Volkameriano’ lemon (Citrus volkameriana Pasq.) e ‘Cleopatra’ tangerine (Citrus reshni Hort ex Tan.), in two proportions of substrates: substrate 50% peat moss, 20% vermiculite fine, 30% rice husk and substrate 50% peat moss, 20% vermiculite superfine, 30% rice husk. A randomized blocks design in factorial scheme 4x2 (rootstocks x substrates) with 4 repetitions composed by 20 plants. It was analysed percentage of emergence and biometric variables at 120 days after sowing. The substrate with vermiculite fine had the best results. The granulometry of the mixture influences the physical characteristics of the substrate and consequently interfere in the availability of water and air, thereby it’s necessary to nutrient adjustment and frequency of irrigation according to each cultivar.

The severity of stratospheric ozone depletion in the temperate and polar latitudes has raised concerns about the sensitivity of terrestrial vegetation and ecosystems to solar ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. This dissertation examined the responses of plants and microbes to solar UV-B for 3 years in Tierra de! Fuego, Argentina (55° S). This region is under the influence of the Antarctic "ozone hole" during the austral spring. Additionally, a quantitative review of the UV-B literature was conducted using a set of statistical techniques known as meta-analysis. For the field studies in Tierra de! Fuego, plots were established in a Sphagnum moss peatland and a Carexsedge fen during the spring of 1996. These plots received either near-ambient solar UV-B (90% of ambient) or reduced UV-B (20% of ambient) using specially designed plastic films. At the end of the first field season, no effects of the solar UV-B treatments were apparent on the growth and pigmentation of the plant species in either community The height growth of the moss Sphagnum mageffanicum was less under near-ambient solar UV-B than reduced UV-B during the second and third growing seasons. In contrast, volumetric density of the moss was greater under nearambient UV-B. The growth of the vascular plants did not respond to the solar UV-B treatments even after 3 years although UV-B-absorbing compounds were greater under near-ambient UV-B in some species. Populations of testate amoebae (i.e., shelled amoebae) inhabiting S. magellanicum had greater numbers under near-ambient UV-B than reduced UV-B throughout the 3 years. This response may be an indirect effect of solar UV-B mediated by the direct effect of UV-Bon S. mageffanicum height growth. Fungi on the leaf surfaces of the tree Nothojagus antarctica appeared to be directly inhibited by solar UV-B. The quantitative literature review of plant field studies simulating stratospheric ozone depletion assessed the effects of elevated UV-B on 10 plant response variables from papers published between 1976 and mid-1999. Modest significant inhibitions of leaf area, aboveground biomass, and plant height were apparent due to increased UV-B using meta-analysis. An increase in UV-B-absorbing compounds appears to be the most robust general response to increased UV-B radiation.

Northern peatlands have acted as persistent sinks of CO2 throughout the Holocene largely owing to their ability to maintain shallow water table depths that limit decomposition rates and supports the growth of keystone vegetation including Sphagnum mosses. There is concern, however, that the future success and ecosystem function of these northern peat deposits may be at risk to climate change, where temperatures and evaporation rates are predicted to increase substantially in the next century. While numerous studies have examined the hydrology and carbon dynamics in large expansive peatland systems where a water table (WT) is ever-present, relatively little research has been done on small scale peat-accumulating systems where their vulnerability remains unknown. One region where a broad spectrum in the scale of peat accumulation is present is in the bedrock depressions of Canadian Shield rock barrens, which are of special importance as many peat deposits here provide habitat to species at risk including the Blanding’s Turtle and the Massassauga Rattlesnake. This study examines the controls that govern water storage dynamics and moss water availability in 18 different peat-accumulating depressions that vary in size, catchment area, and sediment composition. The magnitude of WT variability was often several times greater in shallower bedrock depressions (<50 cm deep) as compared to deeper ‘bogs’ (>60 cm deep). The magnitude of depression WT variability appeared to be closely linked to the WT depth (WTD), the relative proportions of different sediment types within the depression, and the depth dependant specific yield (Sy) of each sediment type. Sites which contained large fractions of Polytrichum moss or mineral soil – which were more common in shallow depressions ¬¬– had the greatest WT variability due to the lower porosity and Sy of this sediment as compared to Sphagnum peat. Sphagnum dominated ‘vernal pools’ (30-50 cm deep) had a WT variability two to three times greater than Sphagnum dominated bogs at WTDs > 20-25 cm, which may be related to exceptionally high ash concentrations near the base of vernal pools which reduced peat porosity and Sy as compared to more organic-rich peat. As compared to bogs, pits (<15 cm deep) and vernal pools had greater rates of WT decline during drying intervals, deeper average WTDs when a WT was present, and extended periods of WT absence during the summer months. As such, moss growing in pits and vernal pools generally had lower near-surface water availability as compared to bogs, though the importance of depression depth in determining the timing of moss stress is also dependant on the hydrophysical properties (Kunsat and moisture retention) of the moss species in question. WT dynamics and moss water availability were generally weakly correlated to depression catchment size, although during wetter periods of the year the rate of WT recession was moderated in pits and vernal pools which had an upslope depression that could provide sustained water inputs for multiple days after rainfall. The results of this study suggest that depression depth may be a first order control in determining peatland vulnerability to future regime shifts induced by external forcings or disturbances. Furthermore, this study suggests that systematic differences may exist between the hydrophysical properties of peat in shallow vs. large bedrock depressions, potentially resulting from contrasts in fire frequency/severity, and/or the degree of humification/compression among geological settings. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Canada is home to one of the largest reservoirs of organic carbon stored on land in the world, in unique ecosystems called peatlands. Peatlands are formed in wetland environments where a thick layer of organic matter has accumulated over time due to the average rate of vegetation growth on the surface of peatlands exceeding the rate of decomposition of the underlying organic matter. This net accumulation of organic matter over time has caused peatlands to act as a long term sink of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas that is a primary driver of global warming. The ability of peatlands to have slow decomposition rates and support the growth of key peatland vegetation, most notably various species of ‘peat moss’, is highly dependent upon their ability to keep their water table (i.e. the surface below which pore spaces in the organic matter are saturated with water) close to their growing surface. There is concern, however, that a warmer and dryer climate in the future could cause deeper water table positions in peatlands, thereby increasing decomposition rates, decreasing the growth rate of peat moss, and potentially turning peatlands into a net source of carbon dioxide. Most peatland studies to date, however, have focused on water storage/movement and carbon exchange in large, deep peatland systems, whereas relatively little research has been conducted on smaller peatlands. As such, the vulnerability of these smaller peatlands to future climate change remains uncertain. One region where peatlands exist over a wide range of different sizes and landscape positions is in bedrock depressions of the Canadian Shield, which are of special interest as they also provide habitat for species at risk including the Blanding’s Turtle and the Massassauga Rattlesnake. This study looked at how the water table positions and water availability to different species of peat moss compared over the growing season between 18 peatlands of different sizes and landscape position (i.e. peatlands with a relatively ‘small’ and ‘large’ area upslope of them). This study finds that deeper peatlands (with organic matter layers > 60 cm deep) usually had a shallower water table over the summer months than shallower peatlands (< 50 cm deep), primarily due to differences in the properties of the organic matter underlying their growing surfaces. Furthermore, each of the 12 studied peatlands < 50 cm deep lost their water table for a considerable amount of time during the summer (when their water table position dropped below the underlying bedrock of the depression), whereas each of the six peatlands > 60 cm deep had a water table present for the entire growing season. Surprisingly, a peatland’s position on the landscape seemed to have a relatively minor effect on determining the depth/presence of its water table. As deeper peatlands usually had a water table that was closer to the growing surface and was always present, more moisture was available to the peat moss growing at their surface than for peat moss in shallower depressions, though this moisture availability also depended upon the growth form of the different species of peat moss (some species of peat moss were better at accessing subsurface water than others). Through its impact on water table positions and moisture availability for peat moss, peatland depth is likely a primary control governing peatland vulnerability climate change, with shallower peatlands being more vulnerable to warmer and dryer conditions in the future.

<p> The net ecosystem CO2 exchange and Sphagnum net primary production of an abandoned block-cut bog were measured in the field and in the laboratory using gas exchange techniques. Environmental variables were measured concurrently. Seasonal Sphagnum growth and decomposition were determined using crank wires and litter bags.</p> <p> The bog was a net source of CO2 during the summer months. While, Sphagnum did grow over the study period, the Sphagnum net primary production was offset by peat respiration. Sphagnum net primary production and net ecosystem CO2 exchange at the abandoned block-cut bog are within the ranges found for natural peatlands.</p> <p> Sphagnum photosynthesis was greatest at wet sites and at the start and end of the study period when the water table was higher and the temperature was cooler. Ericaceous shrub cover strongly affected Sphagnum growth. Sites with vascular plant cover photosynthesized at approximately twice the rate of sites where cover was removed.</p> <p> Laboratory results indicate that drying and wetting cycles negatively affect Sphagnum net primary production and net ecosystem CO2 exchange. Sphagnum and peat respiration increased 4 to 14 fold upon rewetting whereas Sphagnum photosynthesis did not recover until 20 days of saturation.</p> <p> The results emphasize the importance of stable moisture availability for the development of a new acrotelm. The peatland will likely remain a source of CO2 until the acrotelm is able to counterbalance the peat respiration.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

La région de Rouyn-Noranda est fortement touchée par la contamination en éléments traces (ET), tels que l’arsenic (As), le cadmium (Cd), le cuivre (Cu) et le plomb (Pb), provenant des dépositions atmosphériques générées par les émissions de la fonderie Horne. Bien que des études aient démontré l’influence biogéochimique de la fonderie sur l’environnement, aucune recherche ne s’est penchée spécifiquement sur la distribution spatiale des ET dans les écosystèmes terrestres situés en périphérie de la fonderie. Ce mémoire vise donc à cartographier l’étendue spatiale des ET dans la région de Rouyn-Noranda et d’évaluer leurs distributions, spatialement au sein du territoire, mais également entre les composantes écosystémiques de tourbières exposées à des niveaux contrastants de déposition. À partir des concentrations analysées au sein du bryophyte Sphagnum fuscum, échantillonné dans 54 bogs jusqu’à 50 km à l’est de la fonderie, la modélisation de la distribution spatiale des ET a été réalisée par l’entremise d’interpolation spatiale par krigeage. La contamination en ET est plus importante près de la fonderie et diminue significativement dès que la distance augmente de cette dernière. De même, les niveaux d’ET dans la tourbe, l’eau interstitielle et les composantes (racine, tige et feuille) de quatre espèces végétales caractéristiques des tourbières, sont systématiquement plus importants dans les sites situés à 10 km de la fonderie que dans ceux à 25 km. Au sein des végétaux, la remobilisation verticale des ET est limitée et ces éléments s’accumulent en majorité dans les racines, qui sont exposées aux concentrations élevées d’ET dans la tourbe et l’eau interstitielle. Mes travaux ont démontré que l’étendue de la contamination environnementale en ET à Rouyn-Noranda est fonction de la distance à la fonderie Horne et que la mobilité des ET dans les tourbières se concentre à l’interface sol-eau-racine. / The Rouyn-Noranda region is strongly affected by trace element (TE) contamination, such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb), from atmospheric deposition of the Horne copper smelter emissions. Although studies have demonstrated the biogeochemical influence of the Horne smelter on the environment, no research has particularly investigated the spatial distribution of TEs in the vicinity of the smelter. This thesis aims to map the spatial extent of TEs in the Rouyn-Noranda region and to evaluate their distribution between the ecosystem components of peat bogs exposed to contrasting levels of TE depositions. Based on the TE concentrations analyzed in the bryophyte Sphagnum fuscum, sampled in 54 bogs up to 50 km east from the smelter, we modelled the spatial extent of TE through spatial kriging interpolation. Trace element contamination is higher near the smelter and decreases with increasing distance from the latter. Consequently, TE levels in the peat, pore water, and components (roots, shoots, and leaves) of four plant species within bogs are consistently higher at sites 10 km from the smelter than at sites 25 km away. Within plants, the vertical translocation of TE is limited, and these elements accumulate specifically in the roots, which are exposed to considerable concentrations of TE in the peat and in the pore water. My work has shown that the extent of the environmental contamination of TEs in Rouyn-Noranda is a function of the distance from the Horne smelter and their mobility in peatlands is localized at the root-soil-water interface.

Worldwide, peatlands cover an area of 4.106 km2 . Plant primary production dominated over organic matter decomposition and enabled organic matter to accumulate during the last 11 000 years. Peatlands represent a reservoir of atmospheric carbon and they are a useful scientific tool for reconstructions of historical atmospheric pollution. The first part of the thesis focuses on peatlands as a dynamic carbon reservoir under predicted climate change that would influence carbon cycling and emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Three methodological approaches were used - a mesocosm laboratory incubation, a transplant experiment and in situ gas flux measurements. The laboratory incubation studied the response of peat samples from temperate (Velké Dářko, Czech Republic) and boreal (Stor Åmyran, Sweden) zone to a temperature increase, water table decrease and their combination. Today, the warmer site exhibits ~14 times higher CH4 production potential than the colder site (28 mg m-2 hr-1 at VD, and 2 mg m-2 hr-1 at SA). Both sites respond differently to temperature increases. Changes in methane production were up to 9 fold due to different temperatures. A gradual decrease of water table level from 2 to 14 cm below the peat surface had a much stronger effect, VD exhibited a decrease in methane...

<p>Since the start of the industrialisation, the deposition of nitrogen and sulphur and the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased. The main objectives of this study were to find how these changes in climate and deposition can change the vegetation of mire ecosystems and the growth of <i>Sphagnum</i>species. Two main approaches were applied: re-investigated of two mires previously investigated 40-50 years ago and experiment manipulations. </p><p>The plant species diversity had decreased on one of the two re-investigated mires (Skattlösbergs Stormosse; central Sweden), but the total number of species was unchanged on the other (Åkhultmyren; southern Sweden). On Skattlösbergs Stormosse, an acidification was found in the high pH areas, coinciding with reduction in rich fen species. At Åkhultmyren, there was a similar reduction in pH, but the changes in the plant composition also indicated increased nutrient levels and a drier mire surface. Therwere large changes in species composition on Åkhultmyren. For instance <i>Scheuchzeria palustris</i> had disappeared from the investigated area. Further, the cover of Scots pine (<i>Pinusylvestris</i>) had increased, which can be explained by a changed ground-water table regime. Monitoring of pines growing on a bog over a ten-year period showed that pines growing higher above the ground-war table had higher survival than lower-growing pines.</p><p>Experimental addition of nitrogen during 3-4 years reduced <i>Sphagnum </i>growth in bogs and poor fens repressenting a wide range of ambient nitrogen deposition. A changed interspecific competitive relation was found between <i>S. lindberg</i>and <i>S. balticum</i> when increasing nitrogen influx, but the competitive relations between two hummock-growing species pairs did not change in a three-year nitrogen fertilization study. Sulphur additiodid not affect the production or length increment in <i>S. balticum</i>. An increased temperature reduced <i>Sphagnum </i>growth, but there were no indications of altered competitive relationshipbetween hummock and hollow inhabiting <i>Sphagnum </i>species in a four-year experiment.</p>