EAP - Estonian Journal of Ecology Publications

Estonian Journal of Ecology

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Vol. 59, Issue 4 Vol. 59, Issue 3 Vol. 59, Issue 2 Vol. 59, Issue 1 2009 2008

Species composition and structure of vascular plants and bryophytes on the water level gradient within a calcareous fen in North Estonia; pp. 19–38

PDF | doi: 10.3176/eco.2010.1.02

Authors

Mati Ilomets, Laimdota Truus, Raimo Pajula, Kairi Sepp

Abstract

We examined the relationship between the composition and structure of vegetation and hydrology and microtopography within the Paraspõllu calcareous-rich fen (North Estonia). Species composition, depth to groundwater level (+ 6 to – 40 cm), pH (6.1–7.1), and electrical conductivity (220–840 μS cm^–1) were recorded in 23 relevés of 1 m² along transects over the site. The species composition and coverage of vascular plants depended on the extent of water level fluctuations and water conductivity, those of moss species additionally also on microtopography. A total of 44 bryophyte and 57 vascular plant species were identified, including 14 protected and rare species. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and the Monte Carlo test were used to describe compositional variation and identify significant habitat variables separately for vascular plant and bryophyte species. The relationship between the species composition of field and surface layers was nonsignificant. Three of the five assemblages distinguished by two-way cluster analysis, Carex panicea–Schoenus ferrugineus–Drepanocladus cossonii, Phragmites australis–Calliergonella cuspidata, and Molinia caerulea–Carex davalliana, represent the calcareous tufa-forming fen type. The other two are distributed on the moderately drained part of the fen. The number and coverage of rich fen species decreased sharply as the coverage of M. caerulea exceeded the 30% level and seasonal fluctuation of water level was over 25 cm.

References

Barry, M. J., Andreas, B. K. & De Szalay, F. A. 2008. Long-term plant community changes in managed fens in Ohio, USA. Aquat. Conserv., 18, 392−407.
doi:10.1002/aqc.832

Boomer, K. M. B. & Bedford, B. L. 2008. Influence of nested groundwater systems on reduction–oxidation and alkalinity gradients with implications for plant nutrient availability in four New York fens. J. Hydrol., 351, 107–125.
doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.12.003

Bootsma, M. C. & Wassen, M. J. 1996. Environmental conditions and fen vegetation in three lowland mires. Vegetatio, 127, 173–189.
doi:10.1007/BF00044639

Boyer, M. L. H. & Wheeler, B. D. 1989. Vegetation patterns in spring-fed calcareous fens: calcite precipitation and constraints on fertility. J. Ecol., 77, 597–609.
doi:10.2307/2260772

Hájek, M., Horsak, M., Hájková, P. & Ditĕ, D. 2006. Habitat diversity of central European fens
in relation to environmental gradients and an effort to standardise fen terminology in ecological studies. Perspect. Plant Ecol. Evol. Syst., 8, 97−114.
doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2006.08.002

Hájková, P. & Hájek, M. 2003. Species richness and above-ground biomass of poor and calcareous spring fens in the flysch West Carpathians, and their relationship to water and soil chemistry. Preslia, 75, 271–287.

Hájková, P., Wolf, P. & Hájek, M. 2004. Environmental factors and Carpathian spring fen vegetation: the importance of scale and temporal variation. Ann. Bot. Fenn., 41, 249–262.

Ilomets, M. 1994. Miks peame hoidma Eesti soid? Eesti Loodus, 3, 80–83.

Ingerpuu, N. & Vellak, K. (comps). 1998. Eesti sammalde määraja. EPMÜ ZBI, Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu.

Johnson, J. B. & Steingraeber, D. A. 2003. The vegetation and ecological gradients of calcareous mires in the South Park Valley, Colorado. Can. J. Bot., 81, 201–219.
doi:10.1139/b03-017

Kivistik, A. 2000. Orchids of Paraspõllu mire. Ööviiul, 4, 8–10.

Kruskal, J. B. 1964. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling: a numerical method. Psychometrika, 29, 115−129.
doi:10.1007/BF02289694

Kukk, T. & Kull, T. (eds). 2005. Eesti taimede levikuatlas. Eesti Maaülikool, Tartu.

Kull, T. & Tuulik, T. 2002. Kodumaa orhideed. Eesti orhideekaitse klubi, Tallinn.

Laasimer, L. 1965. Eesti NSV taimkate. Valgus, Tallinn.

Lamers, L. P. M., van Roozendaal, S. M. E. & Roelofs, J. G. M. 1998. Acidification of freshwater wetlands: combined effects of non-airborne sulphur pollution and desiccation. Water Air Soil Pollut., 105, 95−106.
doi:10.1023/A:1005083526455

Leht, M. (ed.). 2007. Eesti taimede määraja. EPMÜ ZBI, Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu.

Mälson, K., Backeus, I. & Rydin, H. 2008. Long-term effects of drainage and initial effects of hydrological restoration on rich fen vegetation. Appl. Veget. Sci., 11, 99–106.
doi:10.1111/j.1654-109X.2008.tb00208.x

Mantel, N. 1967. The detection of disease clustering and generalized regression approach. Cancer Res., 27, 209−220.

Mather, P. M. 1976. Computational Methods of Multivariate Analyses in Physical Geography. J. Wiley & Sons, London.

McCune, B. & Grace, J. B. 2002. Analyses of Ecological Communities. MjM Software Design, Gleneden Beach, Oregon.

Middleton, B. A. 2002. Nonequilibrium dynamics of sedge meadows grazed by cattle in southern Wisconsin. Plant Ecol., 16, 89–110.
doi:10.1023/A:1020361021072

Middleton, B. A., Holsten, B. & van Diggelen, R. 2006. Biodiversity management of fens and fen meadows by grazing, cutting and burning. Appl. Veg. Sci., 9, 307–316.
doi:10.1111/j.1654-109X.2006.tb00680.x

Nekola, J. C. 2004. Vascular plant compositional gradients within and between Iowa fens. J. Veg. Sci., 15, 771–780.
doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2004)015[0771:VPCGWA]2.0.CO;2

Peintinger, M. & Bergamini, A. 2006. Community structure of bryophytes and vascular plants in abandoned fen meadows. Plant Ecol., 185, 1−17.
doi:10.1007/s11258-005-9079-y

Teedumäe, A. 1997. Carbonate rocks. In Geology and Mineral Resources of Estonia (Raukas, A. & Teedumäe, A., eds), pp. 348−356. Estonian Academy Publishers, Tallinn.

Trass, H. 1957. Sepsika-sood Eesti NSV-s. Eesti NSV TA Toim, Biol., 6, 134–145.

Trass, H. 1986. Anthropogenic dynamics of the fen flora and vegetation in western Estonia. In Wetland Vegetation of Coastal Baltics (Ksenofontova, T., ed.), pp. 31–43. Academy of Sciences of the Estonian SSR, Institute of Zoology and Botany, Tallinn (in Russian with English summary).

Villems, H. 1996. Vegetation of species-rich fens on Saaremaa Island, West-Estonian archipelago. Proc. Estonian Acad. Sci. Ecol., 6, 1–14.

Vitt, D. H. & Chee, W. I. 1990. The relationships of vegetation to surface water chemistry and peat chemistry in fens of Alberta, Canada. Vegetatio, 89, 87–106.
doi:10.1007/BF00032163

Wassen, M. J., Olde Venterink, H., Lapshina, E. D. & Tanneberger, F. 2005. Endangered plants persist under phosphorus limitation. Nature, 437, 547–550.
doi:10.1038/nature03950

Weltzin, J. F., Keller, J. K., Bridgham, S. D., Pastor, J., Allen, P. B. & Chen, J. 2005. Litter controls plant community composition in a northern fen. Oikos, 110, 537–546.
doi:10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13718.x

Wilcox, D. A. & Nichols, S. J. 2008. The effect of water-level fluctuations on vegetation in a Lake Huron wetland. Wetlands, 28, 2, 487–501.
doi:10.1672/07-129.1

Back to Issue

→ Back issues