Peatlands are important and common wetland ecosystems where the wet conditions result in formation and accumulation of peat, i.e., not fully decomposed organic matter. Many peatlands have been negatively affected by drainage (i.e., ditches) and restoration is conducted, although the effects on vegetation are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the differences in vegetation composition between natural and restored parts of peatlands and the effect of local conditions on vegetation composition. Data was collected on vegetation composition and local environmental conditions (pH, electrical conductivity and water table depth) of natural and restored parts of seven peatlands across Sweden. Statistically significant differences in the species composition between natural and restored parts were detected and natural parts were dominated by Sphagnum species while restored parts were characterised by shrubs and sedges. The environmental variables had a similar impact on the vegetation composition of both northern and southern sites and were in line with the microhabitat preferences of different species. Although restored parts still have a lower cover of Sphagnum, the vegetation community appears to develop towards compositions similar to those of natural peatlands as most plots are dominated by species found in both natural and restored parts. However, this study is based on vegetation data collected in one year and the results only show the current vegetation community composition and should be interpreted cautiously when evaluating the long-term development of vegetation composition after peatland restoration. As peatlands form during long periods of time, differences in vegetation composition after this relatively short time were expected and in line with previous research. Further studies and long-term follow-up surveys are needed to better understand the vegetation development after peatland restoration.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-531818 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Settergren, Fanny |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för biologisk grundutbildning |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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